Unique collection of eight flexi-disc recordings made by Vice President Richard Nixon for conservative columnist Ralph de Toledano, an associate editor of Newsweek who was writing Nixon's biography. Also included is a first edition copy of Nixon by Toledano, hardcover with dust jacket, published by Henry Holt in 1956, signed and inscribed on the first free end page by the author, "For Barney Nover, greetings! Ralph de Toledano." Nover was a columnist and editorial writer for the Washington Pose from 1936-1947, and the Washington bureau chief for the Denver Post from 1947-1971.
The eight flexi-disc dictaphone recordings, which were made by Nixon as dictated memos for his secretary to type up and send to Toledano, are held in five envelopes, four of which have been numbered in pencil by Nixon, "1" through "4." On the back of the "2" envelope, Nixon also writes, "piano at parties." The unnumbered envelope bears a secretarial pencil notation, "Ralph de Toledano, Record #4, 11-15-55." These recordings total just over two hours, and in them he touches upon the following subjects:
Record #1 (15:30): the 1946 Voorhis campaign and Joe McCarthy's tactics.
Record #2 (13:54): the Taft-Hartley Bill, Marshall Plan, his college record, and public speaking.
Record #3 (13:46): favorite political figure (Woodrow Wilson), music, Communists, and heckling.
Record #4 (12:08): heckling, goodwill trips, his 1950 Senate campaign, Eisenhower's support, and why Democrats dislike him.
Record #5 (19:26): the Hiss case, journalism, his ancestry and Irish Quakers, and his accomplishments as a young man in school.
Record #6 (16:51): why he went to Duke, freedom of criticism and speech, J. Edgar Hoover, his wife Pat's upbringing and religion, and his military service in WWII.
Record #7 (15:19): keeping in touch with his WWII detachment, 1946 campaign finances, the CIO, Congressman Tom Jenkins, and anti-Communist activities.
Record #8 (14:57): Earl Warren's refusal to endorse Nixon over Voorhis, editorial support for Nixon to be vice president prior to the 1952 RNC, poll results, the famous 'Checkers' speech, Stevenson's expense fund, and the situation in Indo-China.
In overall fine condition. Accompanied by a complete transcript of the recordings. A historic, primary-source autobiographical record of Nixon's thoughts on a multitude of topics, both personal and political.
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