TLS as president, one page, 7 x 10, White House letterhead, January 26, 1963. Letter to California Governor Edmund Brown. In full: “I certainly agree with the thought of your letter of January 11 as to the wisdom of the Federal-state collaboration in planning for emergency and post attack operations. The Secretary of Defense has been asked to evaluate the staff study prepared by your task force, and to communicate directly with you concerning technical and procedural matters involved, as well as to advise me further concerning Department of Defense findings. I appreciate your interest in the Administration’s efforts to advance the civil defense program.” Impressively matted and framed with two portraits of Kennedy, a patch of the presidential seal, and two large commemorative plates, one being a gold-inlaid, sterling silver portrait plate issued in a limited edition by the Franklin Mint in the early-to-mid 1970s, to an overall size of 37.75 x 29. A couple of horizontal folds lightly passing through portions of signature, staple holes to top left, two office stamps and several passages of text underlined in red, otherwise fine condition.
Shortly after taking office in 1961, President Kennedy created the Office of Civil Defense to oversee the nation’s non-military defense programs. Narrowly avoiding nuclear conflict in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy assigned the OCD the enormous task of managing the Community Fallout Shelter Program. Though many members of Congress felt that the Federal government was overstepping its bounds into individual states’ responsibilities, the program moved forward, creating a network of concrete-lined underground fallout shelters sufficient to serve as a refuge for millions of people in case of nuclear war. An excellent letter in response to California Governor Edmund Brown’s contribution for his state’s participation in the Shelter Program, involving one of Kennedy’s fastest moving projects, designed to help set his country at ease despite the ever-present threats of the Soviet Union. Oversized. RR Auction COA.
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