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Lot #33
Bill Clinton

Highly significant Bill Clinton archive of 45 primarily presidential letters written to one of his closest spiritual and religious advisors, Reverend Stan Easty “in the bright and dark days of my White House years.” Clinton provides unique content of triumph and scandal, particularly during the Monica Lewinsky affair “I am grateful for your guidance and your strength which have helped in bringing me closer to Jesus Christ.”  

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Highly significant Bill Clinton archive of 45 primarily presidential letters written to one of his closest spiritual and religious advisors, Reverend Stan Easty “in the bright and dark days of my White House years.” Clinton provides unique content of triumph and scandal, particularly during the Monica Lewinsky affair “I am grateful for your guidance and your strength which have helped in bringing me closer to Jesus Christ.”  

Collection of forty-five letters (twenty-seven TLSs signed as President on White House letterhead); six post-presidential letters (five TLSs and one ALS) on Clinton's attractive personal letterhead containing a gilt-embossed presidential seal. Eleven additional letters have been identified as having autopen signatures, and are mentioned at the conclusion. Letters span both of Clinton’s terms as President, with several references to his scandalous affair with Monica Lewinsky, and continue into Clinton’s private life, up to the passing of Easty. Father Stan Easty was ordained as an Episcopal priest in December of 1961. His churches included Christ Church in Danville, Virginia; St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Great Bridge, Virginia; Church of the Epiphany in Norfolk, Virginia; and St. Andrews By The Sea in Nags Head, North Carolina, where he retired in 1982. Easty and his wife Reba retired to a boat called the Nicodemus, and began Waterway Ministries. After eight years they returned to dry land in Elizabeth City, North Carolina where he continued his ministry until his passing on March 18, 2005. Highlights from the collection include: TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, February 4, 1994. “Thank you for the kind words on the loss of my mother. I want you to know how much your expression of sympathy means to my family and me.” “I especially appreciate what you said about my State of the Union Address…Thanks, too, for letting me know how you feel about Mother Theresa and what I said about her.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, March 1, 1994. “Your kind words of encouragement mean a lot to me. I especially appreciate what you said about my State of the Union Address. I thought you might enjoy having a copy…Thanks, too, for letting me know how you feel about Mother Theresa and what I said about her…I am grateful, as always, for your prayers.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, July 20, 1994. "Thanks…for your encouragement about what I recently said about Rush and others. I didn't want to pick a fight with them but thought it was time to respond. I'm glad to know you agree with me.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, September 30, 1994. "Congratulations on your 50th wedding anniversary! Hillary and I send our best wishes as you celebrate this important occasion…with your family and friends in Norfolk, Virginia." “I appreciate what you said about the prayer breakfast. They have become a real source of inspiration for me.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, October 25, 1995. “I appreciate what you said about the prayer breakfast. They have become a real source of inspiration for me, and I'm so glad that you're a part of them. Your idea about developing a more public dialogue with the clergy is an interesting one, and I’ve shared your suggestion with Don Baer, my Director of Communications.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, February 6, 1996. “Your expression of confidence and the assurance of your continued prayerful support mean a great deal to Hillary and me. As we work hard towards goals which we truly believe can make meaningful differences for Americans and for people around the world, we both feel sustained and strengthened by friends like you who faithfully remember and uplift us for the challenging opportunities we daily face.” “Thanks, too, for your kind words about Ron Brown. He was a wonderful man, and we'll all miss him, his leadership, and his example.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, May 6, 1996. “Happy 75th Birthday! I hope you had a wonderful celebration…As always, I was so glad to hear from you and to get your encouragement. The trip to Asia and Russia went very well, and I was pleased with all our meetings. Thanks, too, for your kind words about Ron Brown. He was a wonderful man, and we'll all miss him, his leadership, and his example.” “Your experience with President Roosevelt is certainly an unforgettably poignant one. What a magnificent and courageous leader he was.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, September 4, 1996. “I really appreciate your thoughtful remembrance of my birthday. Your experience with President Roosevelt is certainly an unforgettably poignant one. What a magnificent and courageous leader he was. I hope I'll get to see you when I'm back in North Carolina. All good wishes to you and Reba, and genuine gratitude for your loyal support and, especially, for the promise of your continued prayers.” “Now that the American people have spoken…we will surely need them as we work hard to uphold the people's trust, protect our shared values and meet our common challenges.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, November 14, 1996. “Your letter was wonderful. I was deeply touched by the depth of your belief in me and my Presidency. Now that the American people have spoken, I hope you will continue to keep us in your prayers. We will surely need them as we work hard to uphold the people's trust, protect our shared values and meet our common challenges. As always, I'm grateful for your guidance and your strength, which have helped in bringing me closer to Jesus Christ.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, The White House, January 13, 1997. “We'll miss you at the Inauguration, but, hopefully, there will be other opportunities for us to visit. Be assured that I will continue to seek God's daily guidance each and every day of my second term. As you well know, I would not be able to face these many challenges without His wisdom and support. I hope you will keep me in your prayers.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, May 20, 1997. “There is lots of enthusiasm about the FDR Memorial and rightly so. I appreciate your sentiments and share your great respect for our former President.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, October 21, 1997. “Thanks for your letter and the update on events in your life. I know you're excited about returning to your ancestral home and having the opportunity to preach there again. Your spiritual encouragement and prayerful support mean a great deal to me…May God continue to bless you.” “Working together, we can renew hope and opportunity for all Americans as we move forward into an exciting new century filed with promise.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, February 19, 1998. “Throughout my life, I've been inspired by the deep and abiding faith of the American people. Personal prayer is very important to me, and I am truly grateful for the words of encouragement and sincere prayers of people who care so much about the future of our country. Working together, we can renew hope and opportunity for all Americans as we move forward into an exciting new century filed with promise.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, March 19, 1998. “Thanks for your early morning epistle. I'm always grateful for your thoughtfulness and words of confidence. The faithful prayers of you and your congregation mean a great deal to me. All the best of God's blessings for you and Reba.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, June 19, 1998. “Thanks so much for your letter and your good wishes and prayers for my trip to China. I know it will be an important trip…I'm so glad you enjoyed your visit to the White House - I'm pleased you could come. The pictures you sent were great…our best to you and Reba. We'll hope to see you soon.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, July 15, 1998. “I would love to have you join me on my trip to Russia in September, but unfortunately all of the seats on Air Force One will be taken by necessary staff. I will, however, try to get you included in the Norfolk launch later this month…best wishes until next we can visit.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, The White House, October 15, 1998. “Hillary and I want to thank you for the spiritual cards and bookmark…Thank you for your thoughtfulness - it means a great deal. Your prayers and friendship are deeply appreciated.” “Thanks…for your interest in flying on Air Force One to Jerusalem. The comparisons you made to John Glenn's life were great.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, November 12, 1998. “Thanks…for your interest in flying on Air Force One to Jerusalem. The comparisons you made to John Glenn's life were great. I'm sorry but due to space considerations, we will only be able to accommodate necessary staff on the trip to Jerusalem. I understand and appreciate your interest, but we apparently can't work it our this time.” “Do continue to hold our family - and our nation - in your prayers, particularly during these especially challenging times.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, April 26, 1999. “Thank you for your recent letter. I'm sorry that you and Reba have had health difficulties in the past few months…Do continue to hold our family - and our nation - in your prayers, particularly during these especially challenging times.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, July 1, 1999. “I'm grateful for your kind comments and sincere, steadfast prayers. Also, I'll pass your advice on to Hillary.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, The White House, September 20, 1999. “Congratulations…on your upcoming anniversary. What an amazing milestone! I'd love to see you both here soon. Nancy will be in touch to schedule something.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, October 18, 1999. “I'm sorry we couldn't visit on the 8th - I would have enjoyed seeing you and Reba, especially on your anniversary.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, The White House, March 17, 2000. “Thank you for your letter and for sending Elizabeth's impressive resume. I hope she does do the AmeriCorps program - it's a wonderful thing, and I'm very proud of it. It would be great to see you next month. We'll try to get you and Reba here for a radio address. Take care, friend.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, April 20, 2000. “I'm so glad you and Reba will be coming up on the 28th for my radio address. It will be nice to see you. Of course I would love to continue our correspondence after I leave office - I thought it went without saying. You are a good friend, and I do hope we'll keep in touch. Thank you, as always, for your kind words and prayers.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, April 28, 2000. “Happy Birthday! Hillary and I send our best, and we hope the coming year brings you good health and abundant joy.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, August 31, 2000. “I know you look forward to the performance of 'The Lost Colony,' commemorating such a historic event. I'm sorry I won't be able to be there. As you can imagine, my schedule for the remaining months has gotten very full…You and Reba are in my prayers…God bless you.” "You have been a truly steadfast friend during these eight years.” TLS, signed “Bill Clinton,” one page, The White House, December 21, 2000. “You have been a truly steadfast friend during these eight years, through the good times and the difficult ones as well. I will be ever grateful for your kindness and expressions of confidence and encouragement. Do continue to hold me - and our nation - in your faithful prayers. May you and Reba feel anew the love, peace and joy of Christmas and be happy and healthy in the new year. God bless you both.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, gilt-embossed personal letterhead, March 5, 2001. “Thank you for the thoughtful message. It meant a lot to me, as have your friendship and prayers over the years.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, gilt-embossed personal letterhead, April 30, 2001. “Happy Birthday! Hillary and I want to wish you all the best on your special day.” ALS, signed "Bill Clinton," one page, November 6, 2001, gilt-embossed personal letterhead. “I loved your letter - it was a wonderful reminder of what a good friend you've been to me and how much I treasure the support you and Reba gave me in the bright and dark days of my White House years. You are of course welcome here anytime. If I get down your way I'd love to see you. Take care friend.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, gilt-embossed personal letterhead, March 22, 2002. “It's always good to hear from you. I really appreciate your words of advice and support…I hope you'll keep me posted on your possible upcoming surgery. I'll be thinking about you.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, gilt-embossed personal letterhead, April 25, 2002. “Congratulations on the arrival of your first great grandson…We share in your happiness, and send our good wishes to you and the whole family.” “As you may know, I'm in contract to produce my memoirs and felt obliged to check with my lawyers first on this matter. It is my understanding that you own those items, so you may sell them.” TLS, signed “Bill,” one page, gilt-embossed personal letterhead, February 27, 2003. “Thank you for your recent messages and for inquiring about selling items I've signed to you in the past…As you may know, I'm in contract to produce my memoirs and felt obliged to check with my lawyers first on this matter. It is my understanding that you own those items, so you may sell them. However, if possible, could you provide copies of what you sell so that my staff at the Clinton Presidential Materials Project may know what is no longer in your possession, for historical purposes?” Clinton's final letter to Easty was sent on January 27, 2005, seven weeks before Easty's passing on March 18, 2005, at age 83. TLS, “Bill,” one page, on Clinton's gilt-embossed personal letterhead. “Hillary and I were sorry to learn of your recent illness and wanted you to know we're thinking of you. Hang in there! You are in our prayers.” Clinton has underlined "Hang in there" twice. The following eleven letters bear an autopen signature of Bill Clinton, nine sent from the White House and two written after he left office: TLS, one page, The White House, May 19, 1993. “Thank you for sending the prayer you offered in the House of Representatives in 1973. I very much appreciate your kind words about my remarks from the same podium these 20 years later.” TLS, one page, The White House, May 3, 1994. “It's always good to hear from you. I especially appreciate what you said about the challenges we've faced in recent days.” TLS, one page, The White House, October 13, 1994. “It was very thoughtful of you to remember Hillary's and my anniversary.” TLS, one page, The White House, December 1, 1994. “It was great to see you in the Rose Garden and have the chance to visit. Congratulations on your fiftieth wedding anniversary. I was pleased to be a part of your celebration.” TLS, one page, The White House, June 14, 1995. “It was good to hear from you and get your words of encouragement. I was touched by your kind words about me and deeply appreciate what you have said about our efforts here.” “As always, your words of encouragement and spiritual counsel mean a great deal to me. I am deeply grateful for your daily prayers for me and feel the strength that comes from them.” TLS, one page, The White House, March 19, 1997. “With a few days having passed since Jennifer's surgery, I certainly hope that the operation went well and that she is steadily improving. Please be assured of my prayers for her full recovery. As always, your words of encouragement and spiritual counsel mean a great deal to me. I am deeply grateful for your daily prayers for me and feel the strength that comes from them. I particularly appreciate your sharing the prayer which has been so helpful to you.” TLS, one page, The White House, February 9, 1998. “Thanks for your call of support. It meant a great deal to me to get your message. Keep us in your prayers.” TLS, one page, The White House, March 12, 1998. “Thanks for sending us the copy of your letter to Tim Russert. As always, I appreciate your support and friendship more than you'll ever know.” TLS, one page, The White House, September 10, 1998. “You will never know how much your friendship and, especially, your prayers mean to me. Thank you for caring, and for your love.” TLS, one page, gilt-embossed personal letterhead, October 8, 2004. “Congratulations on your 60th anniversary. Hillary and I want to wish you all the best on this special milestone.” TLS, one page, on Clinton's gilt-embossed personal letterhead, October 8, 2004. Content identical to the above letter of the same date. Trivial mounting remnants on a few letters, mentioned only for accuracy, otherwise fine and clean overall condition. R&R COA.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title:
  • Dates: #317 - Ended January 17, 2007