ASSOCIATE JUSTICE FELIX FRANKFURTER - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 12/03/1948 - HFSID 254620

FELIX FRANKFURTER
He handwrote, signed and dated this letter on his personalized letterhead from the Supreme Court to "Chief" - probably Chief Justice Frederick Moore Vinson - in 1948. In it, he writes about upcoming portraits and that he was sorry that he missed the boat "particularly if it's a good one. I hope there's another one - even if I catch it tardily."
Autograph Letter Signed:"F F" ,1 page, 5¾x9, on letterhead from the Chambers of Justice Felix Frankfurter of the Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D. C., 1948 December 1948. With blue ink stamp in verso: "Received/Dec 4 4 09 PM '48/Chambers of the Chief Justice". In full: "Dear Chief: I'm sorry to miss a boat - particularly if it's a good one. I hope there's another one - even if I catch it tardily. Nobody is more ready - I firmly believe - for face-to-face taller [illegible]. A 'Gallery pose' might show indulge in too heavy around here. But they take twice - and other [illegible]- which I like to respect. I am [illegible] twice at your disposal. Ever Yours,". The date, the stamp on verso and the reference to "Chief" all lead us to believe that this was sent to Supreme Court Justice FREDERICK MOOR VINSON (1890-1953, born in Louisa, Kentucky), who was Chief Justice from 1946 until his death in 1953.  A renowned legal scholar, FRANKFURTER (1882-1965, born in Vienna, Austria) influenced Supreme Court decisions for more than 20 years (1939-1962). A former advisor to the NAACP and co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, Frankfurter had affirmed that any form of discrimination against Blacks violated the 15th Amendment (Lane vs. Wilson,1939). Believing that the Court should not interfere with laws established by the people's elected officials, he upheld President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. In the realm of civil liberties, Frankfurter would play a pivotal role in deciding the famous school desegregation case Brown vs. the Board of Education (1954), ensuring its historic importance by securing a unanimous decision. He dissented when the Court overturned Minersville West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette(1943) and when it ruled in favor of legislative reapportionment (Baker vs. Carr, 1962), which he felt was strictly a political problem to be solved by the legislature, not the judiciary. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the staunch advocate of judicial self-restraint stabilized the liberal Earl Warren Court and promoted "procedural fairness" in criminal cases. Frankfurter was presented the Medal of Freedom by John F. Kennedy in 1963. Lightly toned and creased. Staple holes in upper left corner. Stamp on verso shows through lightly, but does not touch signature or handwriting. Folded twice and unfolded. Otherwise, fine condition.