Description:

Felix Frankfurter ALS Requesting Information About a Justice

A 1p autograph letter signed by Felix Frankfurter (1882-1965) as "Felix Frankfurter" at lower right. Written at Frankfurter's summer cottage in Duxbury, Massachusetts on July 19, [n.y.] on a single leaf of stationery with the letterhead of "Law School of Harvard University, / Cambridge, Mass." crossed out at top. Expected paper folds, else near fine. 5.25" x 8."

Felix Frankfurter wrote an unknown correspondent requesting detailed information about a fellow legal practitioner, a certain "Mr. Judge Bassett."

In full, with original punctuation:

"Duxbury Mass
July 19

Dear Ed [?]

Please tell me all you know about Mr. Justice Bassett - describe his professional qualities and his personal characteristics and also give me what your father in his Heidelberg days would have called his Judge's Weltanschauung.

How is your power fight getting on?

I suppose as a good week [?] you're back in DC?

Truly yours
Felix Frankfurter."

Frankfurter's letter confirms everything we know about him as a scholar and lawyer: in information-gathering and decision-making, he was thorough, diligent, analytical, and judicious. Frankfurter's use of a German phrase in the letter--Weltanschauung, meaning world view--reminds us that he spoke fluent German, having emigrated from Austria-Hungary to the United States in 1894.

Felix Frankfurter graduated from Harvard Law School in 1906 with a superb academic record. He soon joined the faculty of his alma mater, serving as a Professor of Law from 1914-1924, and as a Professor of Administrative Law from 1924-1939. The New York lawyer was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by 33rd U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose close advisor he later became. Frankfurter served on the bench from 1941 until retirement in 1962.

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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August 25, 2021 10:30 AM EDT
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