Death letter
A letter by President Kennedy that may have foreshadowed his tragic demise will go up for auction this weekend by the Potomack Company in Alexandria.
In 1959, magazine writer Harry Squires was researching the curious fact that since 1840, no president elected in a year ending in “0” had survived his White House tenure. Responding via letter to Squires’ query, Kennedy called it “thought-provoking,” before adding: “On face value, I daresay, should anyone take this phenomenon to heart … anyone, that is, who aspires to change his address to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue … that most probably the landlord would be left from 1960-1964 with a ‘For Rent’ sign hanging on the gatehouse door.”
Other items up for bid in the auction include a signed photograph of Harry S Truman to his adviser Clark Clifford, a hand-sewn parade flag attributed to the great-granddaughter of Betsy Ross and a metal campaign plate from the 1908 inauguration of William H. Taft.
