Dwight D. Eisenhower Deadpan TLS to Golfing Buddy Following Late 1959 World Tour

A 1p typed letter signed by 34th U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) as "Dwight D Eisenhower" at center. January 11, 1960. [Washington, D.C.] On watermarked stationery with "The White House / Washington" embossed at the letterhead. Expected wear including a flattened transmittal fold intersecting Eisenhower's signature. Minor mounting traces and scrapbook impressions verso, else near fine. 6.75" x 8.875."

President Eisenhower wrote this deadpan thank-you note to golfing associate Maurie Luxford (1894-1971), the first non-professional golfer elected to the Golf Hall of Fame, and Eisenhower's occasional golfing partner.

In part:

"Thank you so much for your one expressive word of greeting to me when I returned from my recent trip abroad. I am grateful to you…"

Eisenhower's poker-faced response suggests that Luxford's one-word message had been irreverent, comical, and perhaps even off-color. Luxford was a New Zealand expatriate who had emigrated to Southern California in the late 1910s, later becoming a very successful Pepsi Cola executive as well as the Los Angeles Park Commissioner. Known as "Mr. Golf" because of his passion for the sport and commitment to hosting golf tournaments for both amateurs and professionals, Luxford was Bing Crosby's playing partner for over 40 years. Luxford played golf with President Eisenhower--whose love for the game is well-documented--on at least one unforgettable occasion, as Luxford recounted to a local sports reporter in a January 1970 newspaper article: "I was playing with President Eisenhower one day many years ago, and was a bit nervous with the Secret Service all around. I shanked a shot just as the President was bending over and hit him right in the seat of the pants. I almost died. But he just grinned and said, 'That's all right, Maurie, you hit my wallet.'" Perhaps this near assault with a golf ball established a friendly and funny rapport between the two men.

President Eisenhower had just returned from a long, exhaustive trip undertaken from December 4-22, 1959. Eisenhower's lightning world tour included 12 countries in Western Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Northern Africa (not in order: France, Spain, Italy, Vatican City, Greece, Turkey, Iran, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Morocco). During Eisenhower's trip, he met with a dozen different world leaders including presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, generalissimos, kings, and even Pope John XXIII. President Eisenhower's foreign policy agenda from this period of his presidency focused on eliminating Communist threats, and safeguarding American access to natural resources in the Middle East.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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