Letter from Jackie Robinson to President Eisenhower Jack Roosevelt Robinson (1919-72) was the first African American to “officially” play in Major League Baseball. When he retired from the game, Jackie Robinson went on to champion the cause of civil rights from his position as a prominent executive of the Chock Full o’Nuts Corporation. Robinson had grown increasingly impatient with what he regarded as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s failure to act decisively in combating racism. In this letter, he expresses his frustration and calls upon the President to finally guarantee Federal support of black civil rights. Read more
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Letter from Jackie Robinson to President Eisenhower

Jack Roosevelt Robinson (1919-72) was the first African American to “officially” play in Major League Baseball. When he retired from the game, Jackie Robinson went on to champion the cause of civil rights from his position as a prominent executive of the Chock Full o’Nuts Corporation.

Robinson had grown increasingly impatient with what he regarded as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s failure to act decisively in combating racism. In this letter, he expresses his frustration and calls upon the President to finally guarantee Federal support of black civil rights. Read more

Source: archives.gov

crookedindifference: A Thank You from Neil Armstrong As he exited the Apollo Lunar Module on July 20th of 1969, ready to set foot on the Moon, Neil Armstrong’s immediate safety was in the hands of an incredible feat of engineering that is often overlooked: his A7L Spacesuit and backpack. Built at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center by ILC Dover and Hamilton Standard, respectively, this early Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was required to provide, amongst other things, the following: a safe internal pressure; breathable oxygen; a regulated temperature; shielding from radiation; protection from micrometeorites, and a communications system. In addition, the suit’s eleven layers needed to provide ample levels of comfort and mobility so as to make it usable. Below, a letter from Armstrong to the ‘EMU gang’, written in 1994 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Moon landing, in which he thanks them sincerely for their highly important work on what he calls his ‘spacecraft’. NEIL A. ARMSTRONG P.O. BOX 436 LEBANON, OH 45036 July 14, 1994 The EMU gang at Johnson Space Center Houston, TX 77058 To the EMU gang: I remember noting a quarter century or so ago that an emu was a 6 foot Australian flightless bird. I thought that got most of it right. It turned out to be one of the most widely photographed spacecraft in history. That was no doubt due to the fact that it was so photogenic. Equally responsible for its success was its characteristic of hiding from view its ugly occupant. Its true beauty, however, was that it worked. It was tough, reliable and almost cuddly. To all of you who made it all that it was, I send a quarter century’s worth of thanks and congratulations. Sincerely, (Signed) Neil A. Armstrong
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crookedindifference:

A Thank You from Neil Armstrong

As he exited the Apollo Lunar Module on July 20th of 1969, ready to set foot on the Moon, Neil Armstrong’s immediate safety was in the hands of an incredible feat of engineering that is often overlooked: his A7L Spacesuit and backpack. Built at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center by ILC Dover and Hamilton Standard, respectively, this early Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was required to provide, amongst other things, the following: a safe internal pressure; breathable oxygen; a regulated temperature; shielding from radiation; protection from micrometeorites, and a communications system. In addition, the suit’s eleven layers needed to provide ample levels of comfort and mobility so as to make it usable.

Below, a letter from Armstrong to the ‘EMU gang’, written in 1994 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Moon landing, in which he thanks them sincerely for their highly important work on what he calls his ‘spacecraft’.

NEIL A. ARMSTRONG
P.O. BOX 436
LEBANON, OH 45036

July 14, 1994

The EMU gang at
Johnson Space Center
Houston, TX 77058

To the EMU gang:

I remember noting a quarter century or so ago that an emu was a 6 foot Australian flightless bird. I thought that got most of it right.

It turned out to be one of the most widely photographed spacecraft in history. That was no doubt due to the fact that it was so photogenic. Equally responsible for its success was its characteristic of hiding from view its ugly occupant.

Its true beauty, however, was that it worked. It was tough, reliable and almost cuddly.

To all of you who made it all that it was, I send a quarter century’s worth of thanks and congratulations.

Sincerely,

(Signed)

Neil A. Armstrong

(via theatlantic)

Source: lettersofnote.com

Did you know that  90% of Ernest Hemingway’s existing manuscript materials are in the archives of the Kennedy Library?  Today, The Kennedy Library announced the opening of fifteen letters written by Ernest Hemingway to his close friend Gianfranco Ivancich. Hemingway met Ivancich and his sister, Adriana, who became the author’s muse, while visiting Venice in 1949. Learn more about the letters, which feature Hemingway’s life in Cuba and his travels around the world. This portrait is of Ernest Hemingway at his Cuban home, the Finca Vigia in 1947.  Ernest Hemingway and JFK
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Did you know that  90% of Ernest Hemingway’s existing manuscript materials are in the archives of the Kennedy Library? 

Today, The Kennedy Library announced the opening of fifteen letters written by Ernest Hemingway to his close friend Gianfranco Ivancich. Hemingway met Ivancich and his sister, Adriana, who became the author’s muse, while visiting Venice in 1949. 

Learn more about the letters, which feature Hemingway’s life in Cuba and his travels around the world.

This portrait is of Ernest Hemingway at his Cuban home, the Finca Vigia in 1947. 

Ernest Hemingway and JFK

Source: jfklibrary.org

The Roosevelt Library keeps a namesake file of children who were named after FDR, including the letters sent by the parents to the President. Recently they found out what happened to one little boy, Franklin Roosevelt Delano Green who was born in Virginia in 1933:

“My grandfather was an Army Officer in World War I. My three uncles all volunteered and fought in World War II (William Jr. was a Tuskegee Airman), and my father [Franklin Delano Roosevelt Green] volunteered and fought in Korea. After Korea he became an attorney in Philadelphia. He was one of the first African American attorneys to work for the Department of Labor and was a law partner of civil rights pioneer Cecil Moore.”
Read the full story of the letters here.

On this day, Albert Einstein was born.

Here is the famous letter written by Einstein to President Franklin D. Roosevelt that is credited with launching what would eventually become known as the Manhattan Project.

This letter was a collaboration between Einstein, physicist Leo Szilard, and economist Alexander Sachs, who had been an administrator of the National Recovery Administration and Roosevelt adviser. Sachs personally delivered the letter to Roosevelt on October 11, 1939. The outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939 had delayed the delivery.

Source: research.archives.gov

Did you know that the Green Bay Packers offered Gerald R. Ford a spot on the team?  Here’s the official letter from February 11, 1935. Presidents and the Pigskin
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Did you know that the Green Bay Packers offered Gerald R. Ford a spot on the team?  Here’s the official letter from February 11, 1935.

Presidents and the Pigskin

“Hoping that you may help to keep warm the interest in raising the handicapped to the rights and the activities of normal humanity, I am, with renewed thanks, Faithfully yours, Helen Keller” From a letter to former President Herbert Hoover
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“Hoping that you may help to keep warm the interest in raising the handicapped to the rights and the activities of normal humanity, I am, with renewed thanks,

Faithfully yours,

Helen Keller”

From a letter to former President Herbert Hoover

Source: research.archives.gov

flavorpill: A gallery of presidential letters to pop culture icons What a great round up. We’ve got more of these at each Presidential Library, so don’t be shy, ya’ hear?  Research is welcome!
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flavorpill:

A gallery of presidential letters to pop culture icons

What a great round up. We’ve got more of these at each Presidential Library, so don’t be shy, ya’ hear?  Research is welcome!

(via thedailyfeed)

Source: flavorwire.com

Ultimatum Letter from President Bush to Saddam Hussein Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991.  Twelve days earlier, President George Bush sent this letter to Saddam Hussein explaining the course of action that would follow if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait and comply with the UN Security Resolution. The Persian Gulf Crisis
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Ultimatum Letter from President Bush to Saddam Hussein

Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991.  Twelve days earlier, President George Bush sent this letter to Saddam Hussein explaining the course of action that would follow if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait and comply with the UN Security Resolution.

The Persian Gulf Crisis

Source: presidentialtimeline.org

todaysdocument:

On the morning of December 21, 1970, Elvis Presley personally delivered a letter to the northwest gate of the White House. Written on American Airlines stationery, the five-page letter requested a meeting with President Nixon. Presley intended to present the President with a gift of a World War II-era pistol and obtain for himself the credentials of a federal agent in the war on drugs.

Source: archives.gov