PRESIDENT TRUMAN PRESENTS THE CERTIFICATE OF MERIT TO DR. LOUIS JORDAN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD WAR II’S WAR METALLURGY COMMITTEE AND THE WAR METALLURGY DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH COMMITTEE

HARRY S. TRUMAN (1884-1972).  Truman was the Thirty-Third President. 

DS. 1pg. 11” x 10”. March 1, 1948. Washington.  A document signed “Harry S Truman” as President and co-signed “Owen J. Roberts” as the Chairman of the Medal for Merit Board.  Truman awarded Dr. Louis Jordan the Certificate of Merit “for outstanding fidelity and meritorious conduct in aid of the war effort against the common enemies of the United States and its Allies in World War II”.  Owen Roberts served on the Supreme Court from 1930 to 1945.  The accompany letter state that Dr. Jordan served as the Executive Director “of both the War Metallurgy Committee of the National Research Council and of the War Metallurgy Division of the National Defense Research Committee, which proved to be an invaluable contribution to the war effort of the United States” from January 1942 to June 1946.  The famous scientist Linus Pauling once wrote to Jordan about the use of metal alloys to build hypervelocity guns.  The document has light curling along the top edge but is in fine condition with a four inch long Truman autograph.

PRESIDENT TRUMAN WRITES TO RUTH BRYAN OWEN, AMERICA’S FIRST WOMAN AMBASSADOR: “I AM FAMILIAR WITH YOUR GREAT INTEREST IN THE UNITED NATIONS AND YOUR EFFORT TO INFORM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ON THE NECESSITY FOR AN ASSOCIATION OF NATIONS FOR PEACE”

HARRY TRUMAN (1884-1972). Truman was the Thirty-Third President.

TLS. 1pg. 7” x 9”. October 5, 1949. The White House, Washington. A typed letter signed “Harry S Truman” as President on “The White House” stationery.  Truman wrote to Ruth Bryan (Owen) Rohde, the famous daughter of William Jennings Bryan: “I can’t tell you how very much I appreciated your good letter of September thirtieth.  I am familiar with your great interest in the United Nations and your effort to inform the American people on the necessity for an association of nations for peace.  I know you will do an excellent job.”  Owen was twice elected to the House of Representatives and was the first woman appointed as an ambassador when FDR, in 1933, sent her to Denmark and Iceland.  After World War II, she attended the San Francisco Conference that established the United Nations and, in 1948, President Truman made her an alternate delegate to the United Nations.  The letter is in very fine condition with a horizontal mailing fold.

PRESIDENT TRUMAN SIGNS A 1946 MEMORANDUM ABOUT TRANSFERRING WHITE HOUSE OFFICE EMPLOYEES

HARRY TRUMAN (1884-1972).  Truman was the Thirty-Third President. 

Archive. 1945-1946. The White House.  An archive of materials related to transferring White House and Executive Department personnel shortly after Truman took over as President.  The highlight is a June 28, 1946 typed memorandum signed “M.C. Latta Executive Clerk” addressed to Truman.  The content states “The attached list has been prepared pursuant to your approval of the transfer to this office of certain employees now on detail from various Departments and agencies of the government and the promotion of some of these as well as regular White House Office employees to grades approved by the Civil Service Commission.  Action as indicated, effective July 1, 1946, is hereby recommended.”  At the conclusion, Truman wrote “Approved Harry S Truman”.  The memorandum is stapled to a ten page typed list of various Executive Department employees, including their name, the department where he or she works, their title, pay grade and salary.  There are several other similar typed memoranda, several signed by Frank K. Sanderson, an executive administrator in the Truman White House.  Overall, the pieces are in very good condition.  Most unusual Presidential content, reminding people that the President also runs one-third of the Federal government.

JOHN TYLER SIGNS A WHALING PAPER FOR A NEW BEDFORD SHIP

JOHN TYLER (1790-1862).  Tyler was the Tenth President.

DS. 1pg. June 19, 1843. No place [Washington].  A partly printed, four language ships paper signed “John Tyler” as President and co-signed “H.S. Legare” as interim Secretary of State.  The papers are for the Java, sailing from New Bedford, Massachusetts to the Indian Ocean.  It was carrying “provisions stores and Utensils for a Whaling voyage”.  The ship is listed in History of the American Whale Fishery, written by the appropriately named Alexander Starbuck, and the Java returned to New Bedford on April 3, 1845.  The paper has the usual folds and a very large, dark signature that has a small pinhole because of fold intersections.

JOHN TYLER SIGNS A WHALING PAPER FOR A NEW BEDFORD SHIP

JOHN TYLER (1790-1862).  Tyler was the Tenth President.

ABEL UPSHUR (1790-1844). Upshur was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Tyler; in July 1843, Tyler made him Secretary of State. On February 28, 1844, he was killed when the gun of the USS Princeton exploded.

DS. 1pg. September 27, 1845. No place [Washington].  A partly printed, four language ships paper signed “J Tyler” as President and co-signed “A.P. Upshur” as Secretary of State.  The papers are for the William & Henry, captained by Ithamar B. Benjamin, and sailing from New Bedford.  There was a whaling book about this ship, entitled Journal of the Mobile (Ship) and William and Henry (Ship), mastered by William Rawson and Ithamar B. Benjamin, on Whaling Voyages between 1836 and 1844.  Although this paper was dated after Tyler’s term ended in March 1845, these papers were signed in masse by the President and distributed to the ports, and then used as needed.  The paper has the usual folds (including a vertical one through the Presidential autograph) and a very large, dark signature.  It is framed with an engraving of Tyler.

(GEORGE WASHINGTON).  (1732-1799).  Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, President of the Constitutional Convention and the first President.

Contemporary copy. 1pg. November 7, 1780. Passaic Falls.  A contemporary copy of a George Washington letter to Colonel Henry Babcock: “Sir, I have received your favor of the 24^th of October, and have to observe on the Subject, that the plan suggested, for paying and supplying the Army and prosecuting the War with vigor, would undoubtedly be eligible, if practicable; how far this is, or is not the case, I cannot take upon myself to determine.  Should the scheme in contemplation be carried into execution; whether it would be most advantageous to have the Plate coined and thrown into circulation, or made the basis of a Bank to support our Credit, might be made a question.  But that this aid (if well disposed of) with other vigorous and decisive measures for drawing out the resources of the Country, would have a powerful influence, in retrieving our affairs, disconcerting those of the Enemy, and inducing them to wish for a peace: does not admit of a single doubt.  The adoption of the plan spoken of by you might give a credit to the public virtue of this Country at Foreign Courts that would be attended with important advantages to us.”  Colonel Henry Babcock (1736-1800), a Yale graduate, fought at Fort Ticonderoga in 1775.  The next year, he was dismissed from command of Rhode Island troops because of his “distempered mind”.  There is a vertical fold and contemporary writing on the verso.