Beschreibung:

FORD, Gerald (1913- ). President . Autograph letter signed ("Jerry Ford") as President, to an unidentified correspondent ("Dear Edith"), The White House, Washington, D.C., 6 November 1976. 2 pages, 4to, in blue ink on one side each of two sheets of imprinted White House stationery. In superb condition. [ With :] An uncut sheet of 50 state flags 13-cent stamps, SIGNED "Gerald R. Ford 1976" at top edge. FOUR DAYS AFTER LOSING THE 1976 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, PRESIDENT FORD PENS AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ALS TO A SUPPORTER In his large, clear hand, noticeably sloping upwards to the right, the President pens a gracious letter of thanks to a supporter. "First, Betty and I thank you for the thoughtful, beautiful and very generous letter. Your words meant so much to us at a tough and traumatic time. Second, you will never know, because words are inadequate, how much I appreciated your wonderful support. Betty & I are most grateful." "You are stamp collectors, Dick & you, so I am sending each of you two of the enclosed with special signatures. Thanks again, you are really a superior person and a friend whose many kindnesses I will never forget. You and your family have our love and best wishes. Most appreciatively, Jerry Ford." Ford, the only President to attain the White House without winning either a Presidential or Vice-Presidential election, had lost stature with much of the electorate following his pardon of Richard Nixon, and his nomination had been strongly contested within the Republican party, particularly by Ronald Reagan. Then, during the second of three televised Presidential candidate debates, Ford further damaged his campaign by making the unfortunate statement that Eastern Europe was free of Soviet domination. Jimmy Carter was the victor in the election, winning 297 to Ford's 240 electoral votes. HANDWRITTEN LETTERS OF PRESIDENT FORD WHILE IN OFFICE ARE OF THE GREATEST RARITY. Not a single example is recorded in ABPC since Ford held office. We are aware of only a single brief example, on stationery of much smaller dimensions, in private hands. As one commentator has written, "authentic Ford material as President is scarce" due to his use of the Autopen, while "his ALSs as President are unknown to collectors, although he advises that 'I wrote a few'" (John M. Taylor, From the White-House Inkwell: American Presidential Autographs , 1989, p.216). (2)