2017 September President's Cup Memorabilia Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/1/2017
Pres. Eisenhower Letter & Clifford Roberts Note to Ben Hogan - Congrats on British Open Win
Offered here is a two piece lot which contains a handwritten note from Clifford Roberts to Ben Hogan, congratulating him on his win at the 1953 Open Championship at Carnoustie. About this win Hogan said, "The British Open gave me my greatest pleasure." Secondly is a typed letter (with added historical significance) from President Eisenhower that Roberts mentions in his letter which has been simply initialed D.E. by the President. During the Hogan British Open win Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Clifford Roberts was a guest of President Eisenhower. Roberts note to Hogan is handwritten on a White House note card. It states as follows:
"Dear Ben-
The President told me last night he was writing to you. I said that I had not been able to think of anything adequate to say to you. This morning it comes to me--
You won in Scotland, in Scotland in exactly the fashion that we would want the Masters Champion to win. What more could I say?
Love to Valerie
Most Sincerely
Cliff (signed simply with first name, Roberts which appears in pencil nearby is most likely in Hogan's hand but unconfirmed)
Clifford Roberts was not known to be a sentimental man, and as such the handwritten note is short, sweet, and to the point of congratulations for Hogan. Now for the second part of this lot a TLS of congratulations from President Eisenhower to Ben Hogan with a historical slant. The Hogan's before heading back to the United States after Ben's Open win vacationed in Paris while also giving a golf clinic at Fountainbleau Golf Club and participating in a "best ball" match to entertain American airmen stationed there. In this time period Hogan received the letter we offer in this lot. It was delivered to him by General Gruenther (the youngest 4 star General in history) who, over the past weekend (Saturday, July 11), was appointed by President Eisenhower (Guenther's bridge partner) as Supreme Allied Commander. With his first assignment in his new position of worldwide power, he hand delivered Eisenhower's congratulation letter from Washington to Paris for presentation to Hogan. This comical historical aside appears in the P.P.S. of Ike letter "But I am hopeful that my friend General Gruenther will get to see you in Paris and he is carrying this copy." The same body of this Eisenhower letter which appeared on White House stationery and with a full signature from the President sold in our last auction for $7,241. James Spence Authentication (JSA) provides authentication paperwork for letter and note appearing in this lot with closing penmenship of President Eisenhower and Clifford Roberts.
THE BOB COFFIN COLLECTION SOURCED FROM BEN HOGAN'S PERSONAL SECRETARY SHARON RAE
Bob Coffin is a man of action, as seen by a career of public service which began 35 years ago with his election to the Nevada Assembly. From that office Coffin was the people's choice for a seat in the Nevada State Senate. After serving in that position for the length that Nevada term limitations would allow, Coffin returned to his hometown of Las Vegas where he continues to serve his constituents as a city councilman to this day. For Coffin this passion for service to his country began with a stint in the United States Army, the same branch of service that his lifelong hero Ben Hogan had served in during World War II. Coffin a student of the Hogan approach to golf, learned his lessons well, so well, that he won the 1969 Nevada Amateur Golf Championship. Following that triumph it was only natural in 1979 that the hometown Las Vegas newspaper, the Review Journal, called on Bob to write a golf column for the paper. To this day accolades continue to pour in for this highly respected man in so many arenas be it golf, military, or politics. Most recently, he was named Person of the Year by the Southern Nevada Chapter of the Professional Golfers Association and received the Charles Dick Medal of Honor Award from the United States National Guard.
This career of public service over the lifetime of Bob Coffin offers much for us to respect. We owe him gratitude, but an even larger thank you as golf collectors is due him for his action in preserving the personal ephemera which belonged to Ben and Valerie Hogan. These mementos covering various stages of their storied lives had been gifted by both Ben and Valerie to their trusted personal secretary Sharon Rae (Please see photo that accompanies this lot of Mr. Hogan and Sharon Rae). Mrs. Rae following Ben's passing in 1997 became such a vital part of Mrs. Hogan's life that she accompanied her to both Ben Hogan's tribute at the 1999 Memorial Tournament and to the dedication of the United States Golf Association's Ben Hogan room that same year. Her prominence in the lives of the Hogan's was evident when she was remembered in both Ben's will with a cash bequest and a much larger bequest in Valerie's will. As a studious collector of Hogan material Bob Coffin stayed in contact with the Rae family, and following Sharon's passing was contacted by son Andy Rae. He informed Coffin that in his garage there is "still a bunch of stuff". Coffin, the man of action, caught a plane to Texas and completed a transaction that saved the Hogan collection as sourced through Sharon Rae for the golf collecting community. The Golf Auction is pleased with so much of the prized material of the Hogan's lifetime already placed in permanent homes to be able to make this offering. We recognize that it may be the last opportunity available to offer fresh Hogan material, which contains rock solid provenance, to the collectors of arguably the greatest golfer of the 20th century but certainly one of America's most idolized and interesting people of that century.
Please note: This auction will end at 7:00pm EST on Sunday, October 1st, with EXTENDED BIDDING to follow. All items in the auction will remain open until no items have received a bid within a 15 minute time period. All lots are free to be bid on until extended bidding has ended
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