Taft, William H (1857-1930) 27th President of the United States (1909-13); Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1921-30). Typed letter signed ("Wm H. Taft") as Chief Justice, 2 pages, on "Supreme Court of the United States" letterhead, 8 x 10½ in., Washington, D.C., Dec. 25, 1924. To Edward W. Bok (1863-1930), reform-minded Dutch American editor and publisher who was editor of the very influential magazine, "The Ladies Home Journal," for 30 years (1889-1919); Bok won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for his autobiography, "The Americanization of Edward Bok." Taft refers to a $2,000,000 gift made by George Eastman (of Eastman Kodak) for "negro" education, as part of a $5,000,000 fundraising goal, and quotes Eastman: "Almost the entire attention of educators has been this far devoted to the white race, but we have more than 10 per cent negro population in the United States, most of whom are densely ignorant. They constitute what is known as the negro problem…."
Taft tells Bok, "…those of us who have given it considerable study regard the negro problem as one of the gravest which confronts the United States to-day. The present campaign of Hampton and Tuskegee provides a practical opportunity to do something big for the ten million negro citizens in this country….To raise the remaining sum needed, $2,500,000, we are organizing campaigns in the leading cities throughout the United States. We are calling upon thoughtful citizens in each of these cities to head the local committees….To make the campaign in Philadelphia the success that it deserves to be, we must have individuals like yourself on our committee…." He asks Bok to accept the honorary chairmanship in Philadelphia and assures him that if he needs more information on the two institutions (Hampton and Tuskegee) before accepting, Taft will be happy to send a trustee "to discuss the entire negro problem" with him. Fine.
Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500
U.S. Presidents
