11 lines, in ink, on printed letterhead of The White House, Washington. 8¾x6¾. With custom-made chemise.
Rare and extremely important letter from Herbert Hoover during his first year in office, completely handwritten, to an influential campaign contributor and political crony. Hoover writes to Alfred Du Pont, heir to the Du Pont de Nemours gunpowder and chemical fortune, who has retired to Florida and is active in both philanthropic and political activities. "Dec. 6th. My Dear Mr. Du Pont, I have your kind note recomending [sic] Colonel Hurley for Secretary of War. I am glad that you confirm my judgement of him and that you are interested. I shall therefore appoint him this afternoon! Sincerely Yours, Herbert Hoover." Alfred Du Pont, known for his racist sentiments and association with the Ku Kux Klan, had supported Hoover in the 1928 presidential elections, giving $25,000 to his campaign in Florida (ironically, two of the staunchest supporters of the Democratic candidate, Al Smith, were Pierre Du Pont, Alfred's cousin, and John Raskob, a powerful executive with the Du Pont firm). It is apparent that as payback for the support, Du Pont has gained some influence in the shaping of Hoover's cabinet, as he gives his approval to the appointment of James Hurley, then serving as Under Secretary of War, to the cabinet-level post of Secretary of War, replacing James William Good, who had passed away on Nov. 18, 1929. After his service as Secretary ended with the election of Franklin Roosevelt, Hurley served on various diplomatic missions, and eventually wound up as the U.S. ambassador to China at the end of World War II. A champion of Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Chinese government, he later charged that officials in the U.S. Department of State had subverted the U.S. policy of support to Chiang's government. Handwritten letters from Herbert Hoover while in office are extremely rare, and the present letter has exceptional content and association.