Richard Byrd 1940 Autograph Letter Signed - To President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Autograph letter signed “Dick Byrd”, no date but stamped “The White House / Jan 29 10:38AM ‘40 / Received”, “The Grand Hotel, Dunedin, N.Z.” stationery, addressed “My dear Franklin”, in full:

Greetings from the South Seas!

I want to tell you about a very tremendous lot your messages have meant to all of us. We will certainly try to do a good job for you.

The next you hear of us we will be trying to do our stuff.

Stamped and authenticated as being part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s collection by H.R. Harmer at lower left - that firm sold FDR’s collection in four auctions, beginning in 1946.

To finance and gain both political and public support for his expeditions, Byrd actively cultivated relationships with many powerful individuals, including President Franklin Roosevelt, Henry Ford, Edsel Ford, John D. Rockefeller Jr., and Vincent Astor. As a token of his gratitude, Byrd named geographic features in the Antarctic after his supporters.  Byrd's third expedition was the first one financed and conducted by the United States government. The project included extensive studies of geology, biology, meteorology, and exploration. The innovative Antarctic Snow Cruiser was brought with the expedition, but broke down shortly after arriving.

Within a few months, in March 1940, Byrd was recalled to active duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The expedition continued in Antarctica without him until the last of its participants left Antarctica on March 22, 1941.

 Truly fascinating association item.

Some wear at top and bottom, folds.