PHIL (PHILIP M.) CRANE - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 03/08/1972 - HFSID 321342

PHILIP CRANE
The U.S. Representatives sends a signed photograph (not included) to a fan
Typed letter signed: "Phil Crane", in black ink, 8x10½. March 8, 1972. Washington, D.C. In full: "Dear Mr. Orth: Thank you for your recent letter. I am pleased to enclose one of my photographs, as you requested [item not included]. It is always a pleasure to be of assistance to you. Cordially". Philip Crane (b. 1930) was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives in three of Illinois' congressional districts from 1969 to 2005, making him the longest serving Republican congressmen in history as of this biography. His first seat, from the 13th Congressional District, was held by Donald Rumsfeld, future Secretary of Defense under Gerald Ford and George W. Bush; he won the seat in a special election after Rumsfeld was appointed to a position in the administration of president Richard Nixon. Crane quickly established himself as a bastion of conservativism in the House, serving as the first chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus group for conservative Republican congressmen, and chairman of the American Conservative Union, a conservative citizen's lobby. Crane also opposed president Jimmy Carter's cession of the Panama Canal and the SALT II nuclear treaties. He ran for president in 1978, but dropped out early during the primaries. The 1980 presidential elections marked the zenith of Crane's power, and he was soon eclipsed by other conservative congressmen. Crane was defeated by Democrat Melissa Bean in the 2004 election, losing the 8th Congressional District seat. Corners lightly worn and creased. Top margin toned. Fine condition.