FDR WRITES TO HIS FORMER LAW PARTNER AND LONGTIME FRIEND, BASIL O’CONNOR

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT (1882-1945). Roosevelt was President of the United States.

BASIL O’CONNOR (1892-1972). O’Connor was Franklin Roosevelt’s longtime friend and law partner until Roosevelt became President.

TLS. 1pg. December 2, 1935. Warm Springs, Georgia.  A typed letter signed “FDR” as President on “The White House” letterhead. Roosevelt wrote to his former law partner, Basil O’Connor, in New York. “Dear Doc: - Will you keep Miss Wallace in mind? I cannot begin any cataloguing until I have unpacked the records and that will be work for about one year more. She sounds thoroughly qualified. As ever yours, FDR”.  The letter has a stamp in the upper right-hand corner indicating when it was received at the offices of O’Connor & Farber and a handwritten notation by O’Connor.  There is a mailing fold and it is in very good condition.

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT RESPONDS TO SENATOR McADOO’S VIEWS ON THE NEWLY-FORMED UNITED STATES MARITIME COMMISSION

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT (1882-1945). Roosevelt was the Thirty-Second President.

WILLIAM GIBBS McADOO (1863-1941). McAdoo was the Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson and later served as a Senator from California.

TLS. 1pg. December 23, 1937. The White House. A typed letter signed “Franklin D Roosevelt” as President. On “The White House” letterhead, the missive is addressed to Senator William Gibbs McAdoo of California: “My dear Senator: Thank you very much for your letter of December twenty-first, setting forth your views with reference to the need for a Pacific Coast States representative on the Maritime Commission. I am glad to have your statements and want to assure you that they will have every consideration. With all good wishes, Very sincerely yours, Franklin D Roosevelt”. The United States Maritime Commission was a governmental agency established in 1936 for the building and operation of merchant ships. The commission existed until 1950. The letter, on seafoam green stationer, is in fine condition with one small red dot in the lower right corner.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT WRITES TO LABOR SECRETARY FRANCES PERKINS ABOUT A CABINET MEETING: “WITH THE APPROACH OF WARM WEATHER ALL OF US WILL BE WANTING TO TAKE OFF OCCASIONAL WEEK ENDS. FOR THIS REASON I BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE MORE CONVENIENT TO HAVE OUR CABINET MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT 2:00 O'CLOCK P. M. INSTEAD OF FRIDAY”

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (1882-1945).  Roosevelt was the Thirty-Second President. 

FRANCES PERKINS (1880-1965).  Perkins was a labor activist and the first woman to serve in a Cabinet, acting as Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945.

TLS 1pg. April 13, 1936. The White House.  A typed letter signed “Franklin D. Roosevelt” as President to Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins: “It has occurred to me that with the approach of warm weather all of us will be wanting to take off occasional week ends. For this reason I believe that it will be more convenient to have our cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock P. M. instead of Friday during the next few months. With this in mind we will start this arrangement this week and have a cabinet meeting on Thursday afternoon.”.  The letter is framed with a small engraving of Roosevelt.  There is a central mailing fold and light toning to the letter.  A fine letter from Roosevelt to a history-making Cabinet member.

ONE YEAR AFTER HIS FAILED “COURT-PACKING SCHEME”, FDR REPLIES TO FORMER FEDERAL JUDGE WILLIAM HUNT’S RECOMMENDATION FOR A NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (1882-1945).  Roosevelt was the Thirty-Second President.

WILLIAM HENRY HUNT (1857-1949).  Hunt was a prominent lawyer and judge. Throughout his career as a Federal judge, Hunt served at various times in the United States District Court in Montana, the United States Court of Customs Appeals, the United States Commerce Court, and the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit (San Francisco). He later left judiciary work for private law practice.

TLS. 1pg. October 21, 1938. Hyde Park, NY. A typed letter signed “Franklin D. Roosevelt” as President. It is on seafoam green “The White House” stationery and is addressed to Hunt in San Francisco after the end of his Federal career. It concerns Hunt’s recommendation of Californian lawyer Maurice E. Harrison for a Supreme Court position, though Harrison never received the nomination. This letter was written one year after Roosevelt attempted unsuccessfully to expand the number of justices in the Supreme Court in what would become known as his infamous “Court-Packing Scheme”: “My dear Mr. Hunt: Thank you for your courteous letter of October 11^th, with reference to Mr. Maurice E. Harrison, of San Francisco, whom you endorse for appointment to the United States Supreme Court. I am glad to know of your high opinion of Mr. Harrison’s qualifications, and do want to assure you that your statements on his behalf will; have every consideration when the question of filling the existing vacancy on the Court is taken up. With all good wishes, Very sincerely yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt”. The letter is in fine condition with one fold line.

A SMALL ARCHIVE OF MATERIALS FROM PRESIDENTIAL SISTER-IN-LAW EMILY TYLER CAROW, INCLUDING A THEODORE ROOSEVELT SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919).  Roosevelt was the Twenty-Sixth President. 

EMILY TYLER CAROW (1865-1939). Carow was the younger sister of First Lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt and thus the sister-in-law of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Archive. 3 pieces. An archive relating to Emily Tyler Carow and her relationship to her Presidential sister and brother-in-law. All three pieces are in very good condition.

1. PS. N.d. N.p. A photograph signed “Theodore Roosevelt” on thick paper stock. Roosevelt is pictured wearing a monocle in this somewhat dark, black-and-white image but the dark signature has great contrast.

2. ALS. 4pgs. December 21, [1903]. The White House, Washington. An autograph letter signed “Emily Tyler Carow”. Writing to a friend, Carow describes sightseeing in Rome and Christmas at the White House. “Dear Miss Tuttle, This is just to wish you a particularly happy Christmas and that 1904 will bring about all your most cherished desires. The little Roman paper weight if it were animate could tell you many tales of love hate and ambition for I picked up the various bits of marbles from all sorts of historical spots the palaces of the Caesars, the Stadium, the Baths of Caracalla, the Villa of Hadrian below Tivoli, the shores of Porto d’Anzio, the ancient atrium where Nero had his villa, & where his baby daughter lived and if I remember rightly died. These last bits of marble were so washed and worn by the sea, that it was not easy to distinguish them from their plebian companion pebbles, and it was only after they had been cut and polished that I could feel quite sure. My two oldest nephews have come home from school for Christmas and the White House is very gay with children’s voices. May you enjoy as happy a Christmas as I expect to with your sister Edith and her children is the wish of Emily Tyler Carow”. There is toning on the second page.

3. A black-and-white photograph of Theodore Roosevelt, two women (most likely Edith and Emily), and a young man (probably one of his sons) outside in front of a palm tree.

A WILLIAM TAFT LETTER WRITTEN AS SECRETARY OF WAR

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT (1857-1930). Taft was the Twenty-Seventh President.

TLS. 1pg. December 28, 1907. War Department, Washington. A typed letter signed “Wm H Taft” as Secretary of War. He wrote to Representative from Ohio Theodore Burton: “My dear Mr. Burton: I have your note of the 27^th instant in respect to Colonel Kingman. I suppose his is one of a number of cases I shall not consider until the President returns which involve the discussion of a matter of broad policy. Very sincerely yours, Wm H Taft”. There have been several Colonel Kingmans. The letter is in good condition. The signature is faint, and there is waterstaining.