Description:

John F. Kennedy
Washington, D.C., May 16, 1961
JFK Boldly Signed as Pres. Re: America's First Manned Space Flight
TLS
John F. Kennedy typed letter signed as President, thanking the President of Columbia Records for sending him a recording of the first American space mission. 1p, measuring 6.75" x 9", Washington, D.C., dated May 16, 1961. On White House stationery, signed "John Kennedy" and addressed to Goddard Lieberson. After Alan Shepard became the first American to fly into outer space, Columbia Records President Goddard Lieberson sent Kennedy the audio recording from the mission. In a personal thank-you note, Kennedy says he was "delighted to have this memento of a truly significant event in America's history." Flattened mail fold. Boldly signed, very fine.

Reading in full:
"This is to thank you for your thoughtfulness in seeing that I received a set of recordings of the historic space flight of our first astronaut, Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. I am delighted to have this memento of a truly significant event in America's history. With warm appreciation and every good wish..."

Naval aviator Alan Shepard was the first American to be launched into space on May 5, 1961, just three weeks after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. Shepard was among the group of 110 military test pilots invited to train under the newly-created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After a rigorous screening process, NASA selected the "Mercury Seven" on April 9, 1959. America's first astronauts were introduced to the public the next day. In January 1961, Shepard was chosen to pilot the first American manned flight. His mission was delayed several times, allowing the Soviet Union to launch the first manned space flight, piloted by Gagarin, on April 12, 1961. While Gagarin's flight was completely automatic, Shepard had some control over his Freedom 7 spacecraft when it was launched 116 miles above the Earth. He famously told himself, "Don't f--k up, Shepard," while preparing to launch, a phrase now known as "Shepard's Prayer" among astronauts and aviators. Millions of people around the world watched his launch, and after splashdown and recovery in the Atlantic Ocean, Shepard was a national hero. President Kennedy presented him the NASA Distinguished Service Medal on May 8, 1961.

Mission Control at Cape Canaveral, Florida recorded Shepard's in-flight communications, and his 15-minute flight remains the shortest space flight in history. Both elements allowed Columbia to offer the President the complete recordings, and Kennedy's letter thanking Lieberson was written less than two weeks after the event.

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 6.75" x 9"
  • Medium: TLS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000