Lot 252

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Description:

Truman to FDR's Son, Ex-Forbes

Former President Harry S. Truman writes to Congressman James Roosevelt, oldest son of Truman’s predecessor, about a visit from an English political scientist.

HARRY S. TRUMAN, Typed Letter Signed, to James Roosevelt, February 13, 1964, Independence, Missouri. 1 p., 7.25? x 10.5?, on “Harry S Truman / Independence, Missouri” stationery. Very good.

Excerpt
“I appreciated yours of the 3rd, regarding Professor George E. G. Catlin of Great Britain. I will be glad to have him come to see me and am enclosing you copy of my letter to him.”

Historical Background
Professor George E. G. Catlin (1896-1979) served briefly in World War I and then became a political scientist. After completing an M.A. at Oxford, he lectured at Cornell University, where he received his doctorate. A strong proponent of Anglo-American cooperation, he traveled widely in the 1930s, witnessing Nazism in Germany, communism in Soviet Russia, and the Civil War in Spain. He was an early advocate for the independence of India, and he campaigned for Wendell Willkie in 1940. From 1956 to 1960, he was a professor of political science at McGill University in Montreal. In 1961, he drafted the constitution for the Atlantic Institute, a non-governmental institute that promoted closer economic, political, and cultural relations among NATO alliance members.

During a lecture tour of the United States, Catlin stopped in Kansas City in March 1964 to speak with former President Truman about greater cooperation within the Atlantic community. He also met with former President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Palm Desert, California.


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.

James Roosevelt (1907-1991) was born in New York City as the oldest son of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. He graduated from Harvard University in 1930 and attended the Boston University School of Law but left after one year to turn his attention to business. In 1932, he began his own insurance agency and made a substantial fortune before resigning in 1937 to become his father’s administrative assistant and secretary. He became one of his father’s most important counselors, but he resigned in 1938 under allegations that he had steered lucrative business to his insurance firm. He moved to Hollywood and became an administrative assistant to producer Samuel Goldwyn. In 1939, Roosevelt accepted a commission as a captain in the Marine Corps Reserve and entered active duty in November 1940. He transferred to the Marine Raiders in January 1942 and participated in actions in the Pacific Theater. He was released from active duty in August 1945 at the rank of colonel. He continued in the Marine Corps Reserve until 1959, when he retired with the rank of brigadier general. After the war, he returned to California, the insurance business, and Democratic politics. In 1954, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from California and served from 1955 to 1965, resigning during his sixth term. He was friendly with Richard Nixon and supported Nixon’s reelection in 1972 and also supported Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984.

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
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