EARL WILSON - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: DEAN BARTLETT CROMWELL, NANCY CHAFFEE, RALPH KINER - HFSID 26275

EARL WILSON, RALPH KINER, NANCY CHAFFEE and DEAN BARTLETT CROMWELL
Signatures and handwritten notes by newspaper columnist Earl Wilson, baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, tennis champ Nancy Chaffee and legendary track and field coach Dean Bartlett Cromwell. With b/w and color photos of all four signers affixed.
Autograph notes signed "Earl Wilson" and "Dean Cromwell" and, on verso, "Ralph Kiner" and "Nancy Chaffee Kiner" for black, blue and purple ink. Blue ink notations on front and verso and purple ink marks on front, all in unknown hand. 7¾x10. With small b/w and color photos of all signatures affixed. Kiner's note in full: "To George With best wishes to my 'old' fishing partner". Chaffee's note in full: "To George, Thanks for using me on your show - Practice your doubles strategy -". WILSON (1907-1987), a celebrity reporter, wrote a column, It Happened Last Night, for the New York Post. He was the author of several books, including Earl Wilson's New York (1964), Sinatra: an Unauthorized Biography (1977) and Hot Times: True Tales of Hollywood and Broadway (1984). American tennis player CHAFFEE (1929-2002) was once the world's fourth-ranked professional player and won three consecutive national indoor championships (1950-1952). She first came to national attention in 1947 while a sophomore at the University of Southern California (which, incidentally, didn't have a women's team; she had to play on the men's team) after capturing the U. S. girls' lawn tennis singles champion and, with Beverly Baker, the doubles title. Chaffee retired in 1952 to devote herself to married life. She was married to baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner (1951-1968) and TV sports announcer Jack Whitaker (1991-2002), and was a sports announcer herself in her later years. In a relatively brief 10-year career, which was shortened by a back ailment, KINER, born in 1922, hit 369 home runs, winning or sharing the National League home run title in each of his first seven seasons in Pittsburgh. He topped 50 twice, with 51 in 1947 and 54 in 1949. His ratio of 7.1 home runs per 100 at-bats trails only Babe Ruth and Mark McGwire among retired players. Kiner averaged better than 100 RBI a season as he led the National League in slugging percentage three times. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975. Nicknamed "Maker of Champions", legendary track and field coach CROMWELL (1879-1962) was head coach of the track and field team at University of Southern Californa (1909-1915, 1916-1948). During that time, he led USC's track and field team to 12 NCAA team national championships (1926, 1930, 1931 and 1935 to 1943) and nine IC4A titles, and was named head coach of the U. S. Olympic team in 1948. He also coached 10 Olympic gold medalists, as well as world record-holders Jess Mortensen (decathlon) and Bill Sefton (decathlon) and U. S. A. Track and Field Hall of Famers Charlie Paddock, Bud Houser, Mel Patton, Vern Wolfe and Frank Wyckoff. Cromwell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974. Lightlytoned, soiled, creased, bowed and rippled. Show-through from Wilson and Cromwell's signature touches Kiner and Chaffee's signature. Discoloration on left edge, which touches Cromwell's signature. Cromwell's signature is lightly haloed. Pen skipped while writing Kiner's signature. Missing bottom right corner. Neatly torn from binding on right edge. Otherwise in fine condition.