HARRY A. BLACKMUN
Harry Blackmun sends a typed letter to a fan.
Typed Letter Signed: "Harry A. Blackmun" as Associate Justice, 1p, 8x10½. Washington, D.C., 1975 November 6. On Court letterhead to Bishop Earl G. Hunt, Charlotte, North Carolina. In full: "I have not forgotten the request contained in your letter of April 14 for some momento [sic] of the Court bearing the personal signatures of several Justices. As I indicated in my letter of April 24 to you, I have been delayed because of Mr. Justice Douglas' illness. Under separate cover I am sending to you a copy of the revised edition of 'Equal Justice Under Law.' I was able to have the members of the Court affix their signatures on the flyleaf. I like this booklet. It is put out by the foundation of the Federal Bar Association and the National Geographic Society and is, I feel, a readable and informative review, with personal references, of some of the great cases that have come here over the years. I hope this is the kind of thing you had in mind. Sincerely." Blackmun, appointed by President Nixon in 1970, was initially allied with the conservatives on the Court, but is best remembered for his 1973 majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion. He retired in 1994 and died in 1999. In March, 2004, Blackmun's papers collected at the Library of Congress were opened for public view: 1,576 boxes of papers and 38 hours of oral history. The papers, and particularly the videotapes, are providing candid looks behind the scenes at the Court's deliberations. Slightly creased. Pinhead sized spot near upper left edge. Fine condition.