Description:

Reagan Ronald 1911 - 2004 President-elect Ronald Reagan draws a colorful Christmas wreath on his fully handwritten letter to the widow of the man who gave him his first job almost 50 years earlier Autograph Letter Signed "Love / Dutch" as President-elect, 1 page, 7.25" x 10.5". [Pacific Palisades, California], December 6, 1980. With original postmarked 7.5" x 4" envelope, imprinted "Ronald Reagan / Pacific Palisades" on back flap, hand addressed by Reagan to "Mrs. Peter MacArthur / Lake Worth Towers Apt. 507 / Lake Worth Fla. 33460." Mrs. MacArthur has handwritten in the upper left "Cmas 1980 / & chk," her Christmas gift from Dutch. Fine condition.


In full, "Dear Hup Here it is that time again to say Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. I think this time however I can understand why it seems to have sneaked up on me. Any way I can say it is a joy to wish you a Happy Holiday Season & a very Merry Christmas. Nancy sends her warmest regards and best wishes. So do I. Love Dutch" Elected 40th President of the United States on November 4, 1980, President-elect Ronald Reagan has meticulously drawn a green Christmas wreath with red berries and a large red bow in the upper left of this letter.

Other examples of Reagan's artwork are reproduced on pages 186-207 of "Presidential Doodles" from the creators of Cabinet Magazine (New York: Basic Books, 2006). The Christmas wreath on the letter here offered, however, is the only one known to be in color.

Mrs. Peter MacArthur was 87-year-old Lydia Hupfer "Hup" McArthur (1893-1995), widow of the man who had given Reagan his first job after college. Peter MacArthur was the program director at radio station WOC in Davenport, Iowa, which shared its frequency with WHO Des Moines. In 1932, MacArthur gave 21-year-old recent Eureka College grad Ronald "Dutch" Reagan a sports announcer's job at WOC. In 1937, sportscaster Reagan went to the Chicago Cubs spring training camp in southern California to do play-by-play for WHO Des Moines. Impressed by his confidence and good looks, an agent arranged a screen test for the 26-year-old sports announcer at Warner Bros. Reagan signed a seven-year contract and moved to California. But he never forgot Pete and Hup MacArthur whom he affectionately called "Ma" and "Pa" ("Maw & Paw," "Mom & Pop"). He sent Christmas cards and letters to them on a regular basis from 1938 until 1948 when Pete died, continuing to correspond with Hup until she died in 1995 at 101.

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