The 30 Minute Rule begins May 13 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By May 13 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT
Archive of 27 TLSs from Harry S. Truman, either signed in full or as “Harry,” all addressed to his Kansas City colleague, Shannon C. Douglass, between 1938 and 1951, a nearly 13-year correspondence spanning his federal office roles as a U.S. Senator, as Vice President of the United States, and as American President. These lofty positions are represented by the archive’s letterhead, measuring 7 x 8.75 and 8 x 10.5, which constitute a total of 12 letters as president, 14 letters as a Missouri senator, and one letter as vice president, each one page in length. The content of the correspondence mostly relates to the Democratic political situation in Kansas City and the state of Missouri, in addition to several letters of appreciation.
The 12 presidential letters are dated between May 17, 1945, and April 25, 1951; the 14 senatorial letters are dated from June 16, 1938, to September 20, 1943; and the lone VP letter is dated March 13, 1945. Samples of the presidential letters are as follows:
May 17, 1945, a month after assuming the presidency: “I have read your kind letter with the deepest appreciation of your generous expressions of commendation and faith in me. Many thanks, too, for your willingness to be of service and your good wishes.”
June 18, 1947: “I appreciated very much your good letter of June sixteenth and I, of course, am hoping that we may be able to find someone to run for Governor whom we can all support. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility.”
August 13, 1948: “I appreciated your letter of the eleventh very much and I think you are exactly right about the Dixiecrat movement – it should be stopped immediately. I hope that will take place.”
November 24, 1948: “The loyalty of my good Missouri friend certainly means a lot to me.”
June 10, 1949: “I think it would be improper for me to express any preference in the Democratic Primary but I sincerely hope that the man nominated will be a campaigner of the first water, and one who can take our present Republican Senator out of office. He certainly has made a record on which a good Democrat can easily be elected.”
April 25, 1951: “I think you are correct about the situation as regards public opinion. As you know, however, public opinion is a fickle goddess and a man who wants to do right should never have his ears to the ground — he should only have his objective in view and follow it because it is right.”
The archive also contains copies of Douglass’s correspondence with other persons, but which pertain to Truman. In overall fine to very fine condition. Accompanied by two original White House mailing envelopes, a letter from Truman bearing a secretarial signature, and two transmittal letters from White House secretary Matthew J. Connelly. Shannon C. Douglass, Jr. (1887-1963) was a prominent Kansas City lawyer, civic leader, and close associate of Harry S. Truman. During his career, Douglass served as a lawyer and member of the Kansas City Bar Association, the Jefferson Democratic Club, and the Kansas City Athletic Association, and later as president of the Armour Hills Homes Association.
