The Gipper in Tuscaloosa: When Ronald Reagan campaigned in 1984 in Alabama

Nearly 40 years ago,  the president of the United States came to Tuscaloosa, gave a campaign speech at the University of Alabama and ate a Big Mac at the Northport McDonald's.

More: UA graduate recalls his famous 1984 Big Mac lunch with Ronald Reagan

Here's a look back at Ronald Reagan's Oct. 15, 1984, Alabama visit:

Reagan at the University of Alabama

Reagan was in the midst of running for reelection on the Republican presidential ticket in the fall of 1984 when his campaign organized a series of appearances in the South. According to the New York Times, Reagan held campaign rallies in North Carolina, Mississippi and Texas in the days before coming to Memorial Coliseum (now known as Coleman Coliseum) on the UA campus.

Reagan spoke to a packed house in Tuscaloosa and received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. UA's Million Dollar Band played "Hail to the Chief" as Reagan entered and many in the audience waved American flags while chanting "Four more years."

In his speech, he touted his administration's economic record with a reference to UA's signature cheer.

“The centerpiece of our administration is one word: freedom. The foundation has been a program aimed at lowering tax rates, revitalizing the economy, and creating opportunity so that every American gets a chance at a good life,” Reagan said. “When I came in here, I started thinking about a phrase that you might be familiar with that expresses our philosophy of economic growth. It’s 'Roll tide, roll.' ”

Reagan also spoke fondly of his friendship with UA's legendary football coach, Paul W. "Bear" Bryant, who died Jan. 23, 1983.

"He was a leader, patriotic to the core, devoted to his players and inspired by a winning spirit that wouldn't quit," Reagan said of Bryant. "And that's how he made legends out of ordinary people. He was a true American hero, and he was Alabama's own."

UA mascot Big Al presented Reagan with an Alabama jacket, which he donned before leaving the stage as the Million Dollar Band played "Yea Alabama."

In his diary entry for Oct. 15, 1984, Reagan wrote:  "To the U. of Alabama. There in the auditorium 9000 students. It was a heartwarming experience. They acted like it was the G.O.P. convention," according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

Just a few weeks after his Alabama campaign swing, Reagan won a landslide victory in the presidential election over the Democratic nominee, former vice president Walter Mondale. On Nov. 6, 1984, Reagan carried 49 states, including Alabama, earning nearly 59% of the vote nationwide.

Reagan eats a Big Mac

After his speech at UA, Reagan's motorcade headed toward the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, where Air Force One was parked. However, the motorcade made a stop at the McDonald's in Northport.

Tommy Stevenson, a columnist for The Tuscaloosa News, recounted the Gipper's McDonald's visit in a 2006 column:

"The President of the United States ordered a Big Mac, a large order of fries and sweet tea, proffered a $20 bill from his right front pant pocket, got his $17.54 in change and looked around for a place to enjoy his meal.

"Trailed by a gaggle of television cameras, several reporters and aides, Reagan walked over to a table where Charles Patterson and Greg Pearson sat unawares.

"Reagan asked if he could join them and, with their eyes wide and mouths agape, they said of course.

"While the media couldn’t get close enough to ask many questions (or intrude on a private meal), Reagan was asked at one point when the last time he had eaten at a McDonald’s.

“ 'Well, it was before I got this job,' he said, 'But I kind of miss it sometimes. I figured as long as I had the opportunity, I might as well take advantage of it and stop,' " Stevenson wrote.

The president then left Alabama for his next campaign stop in Macon, Georgia.

While the original McDonald's where Reagan ate lunch was later torn down, the replacement restaurant on the same site in Northport still honors the president's visit. The McDonald's still keeps a glass encasement display with a plaque stating the date Reagan ate there and what he ordered, a bust of Reagan and a picture of him eating his Big Mac.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: When Ronald Reagan held a University of Alabama campaign rally