Lot 253

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Description:

H.S. Truman, Nice Pair of Letters, Ex-Forbes


“ ‘Youth – the hope of the world’. ”

Former President Harry S. Truman discusses his high school motto and a television documentary series about his life with screenwriter Raphael D. Blau.

HARRY S. TRUMAN, 2 Typed Letters Signed, to Raphael D. Blau, August 15, 1963, November 17, 1964, Independence, Missouri. Each 1 p. + envelope with printed franking signature on envelope, 7.25? x 10.5?, on “Harry S Truman / Independence, Missouri” stationery. Very good; some wear to one envelope.

Excerpts

“I appreciated very much your note of August 10th, and I am glad you found out what the motto on the Independence High School really means. When that motto was put there Charlie Ross and I were in the senior class of the high school and that motto came about due to the fact that we were studying Cicero and Virgil – and the actual translation is ‘Youth – the hope of the world’.”

“Your contribution as a writer for the Television Series – ‘Decision’ was valuable and highly effective. I very much appreciate your taking an important part in this project of recorded history and hope that it brings you a measure of personal satisfaction.”

Historical Background
Harry S. Truman graduated from Independence High School in 1901. The motto of the high school, written over the front door in Latin, was “Juventus Spes Mundi

The top student in the class was Charlie Ross (1885-1950), who later became President Truman’s press secretary. As the chief Washington correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ross won a 1932 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for an article on the nation’s economic plight.

Ross was Miss Matilda Brown’s prize English student. At their graduation, Miss Brown rushed up on the stage after the program and gave Ross a kiss and congratulations. Truman was standing nearby and said, “Well, don’t I get one too?” Miss Brown replied, “Not until you have done something worthwhile.”

Years later, when Ross first became presidential press secretary, he said to Truman, “Wouldn’t Miss Tillie be glad to know we are together again?” The president picked up the telephone and put in a call to Independence and Miss Brown answered. “Hello, Miss Brown, this is the president of the United States. Do I get that kiss?” “Come and get it,” she replied.

In 1963, Screen Gems, Inc. and Independence Productions, Inc. entered into an agreement to produce 26 half-hour television films about Truman’s presidency. The series was titled Decision: The Conflicts of Harry S. Truman, and in each episode, Truman looked back on his life and presidency and described why he made the decisions he did. Broadcasts began in November 1964 and continued into 1965. In March 1965, American Cinema Editors named Truman the outstanding television personality of 1964.


Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was born in Missouri and first won elective office in 1922, winning a judge’s seat on the Jackson County Court. After serving several terms, Truman was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934, and in 1940 gained national attention for his chairmanship of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, which was eventually nicknamed “The Truman Committee.” Truman continued his political rise in 1944, when he was elected Vice-President as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s running mate. After only 82 days as Vice President, Truman was thrust into the Presidency when Roosevelt died unexpectedly. His inheritance was a world at war. Germany had surrendered, but Japan refused to give up the war. Truman, in a desperate move to avoid having to invade the Japanese mainland, ordered the deployment of two atomic bombs. They were dropped on August 6 and August 9, 1945. Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945. As President, Truman waged an undeclared war on the Soviet Union, drafting the “Truman Doctrine,” which proclaimed the United States’ willingness to provide aid to countries resisting communism. The Marshall Plan sought to strengthen the European economy in the hopes that this program, too, would prevent the spread of Soviet influence. Elected President for a full term in 1948, he also brought United States troops into the Korean War (1950-1953). In addition to his cold war activities, Truman’s administration expanded the New Deal and promoted Civil Rights initiatives.

Raphael D. Blau (1912-1996) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and became a noted Hollywood screenwriter. He collaborated on a number of films with his brother-in-law Edward O. Berkman, including Bedtime for Bonzo (1951), which starred Ronald Reagan. He also wrote episodes for television series like Bonanza and Leave It to Beaver.

Ex. The Forbes Collection. Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine, and consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial and broad collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences, and sat on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance when attached to an item like the one above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.



This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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June 24, 2020 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

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