[Rarebooks] FS: Superb FDR letter to his eldest son with revealing biographical and financial information

[Charles Agvent]

 From one of the finest collections of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt material 
offered in many years, part of our catalogue of SIGNED PRESIDENTIAL material 
posted on our website: http://www.erols.com/agvent.  Also included are important 
signed and association copies of LBJ, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt.

ROOSEVELT,  Franklin  Delano. AUTOGRAPHED LETTER SIGNED (ALS)  to  his
son  James with revealing biographical and financial information. Hyde
Park:  [May  1927].  A  5-1/2-page AUTOGRAPH LETTER  on  3  sheets  of
Roosevelt's  Fidelity  &  Deposit   Company  of  Maryland  stationery,
completely  in  FDR's  hand,  to his son  James  Roosevelt  SIGNED  as
"Father."  Roosevelt  begins discussing Jimmy's return to  rowing  and
his  attempt  to watch his son in action. He then mentions in  a  very
revealing  manner his half-brother, James, 26 years FDR's senior:  "Of
course  Uncle  Rosy's  death was a very great shock to me- He  was  so
much  older than I am, that it would have been perfectly possible  for
us  to  be a good deal apart, yet I think that he & I were  much  more
like  real  brothers  than in many cases & we always  pulled  together
with  a  fine  understanding." Roosevelt gives details  about  James's
estate  and inheritances including his own: "I receive outright  $100,
000,  which  is part of what my Father left to Uncle Rosy- and  I  get
the  guns  rifles  & fishing tackle." He mentions how  the  death  has
disrupted  his  plans to be at Warm Springs and talks about a  planned
family  trip to Europe. He tells Jimmy not to worry about school: "The
chief  advantage  of the law is that it is the finest preparation  for
any  non-scientific career but you could always take one of the  short
night courses at any time." Attending but not graduating from Harvard,
James  became  an insurance executive, a position he left in  1937  to
become  secretary to his father in the White House. Letters completely
in  FDR's  hand  are  scarce,  especially  to  a  family  member,  and
virtually  unique when this length. With the envelope addressed by FDR
to  Mr.  James  Roosevelt. Normal creases. About  Fine  with  envelope
postmarked 15 May 1927.                                     $15,000.00

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CHARLES AGVENT
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