REAR ADMIRAL RICHARD E. BYRD - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 09/14/1930 - HFSID 87471

RICHARD E. BYRD
The American explorer who flew over the North Pole and the South Pole penned his signature on this letter
Typed Letter Signed: "Dick" in black ink. One page. 8½x11. Dublin, New Hampshire. Dated September 14, 1930. In Part: "Here is an important matter. Williams College has offered me a degree of doctor of science. Can I possibly fit it in any time in October? I must confess that I forgot all about this matter". On May 9, 1926, RICHARD E. BYRD (1888-1957) and Floyd Bennett became the first to fly over the North Pole. Both were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Scholars have raised questions about whether or not Byrd actually reached the North Pole, but it is generally accepted that he succeeded. In 1929, Byrd established the "Little America" Antarctica base and flew (indisputably) over the South Pole. He was promoted to Rear Admiral upon his return in 1930. On his Antarctic expeditions in the 1930s, Byrd discovered Marie Byrd Land and the Edsel Ford Mountains. Still exploring in his late 60s, he commanded Operation High Jump (1946-1947) and Operation Deep Freeze (1955-1956). JAMES B. POND ("Bim"), who became the nation's premier lecture agent, established his agency in New York in 1879. In addition to Byrd, his notable clients included Mark Twain, P.T. Barnum, Thomas Nast, James Whitcomb Riley, Henry Stanley, and Booker T. Washington. Mailing creases. Lightly toned. Otherwise, fine condition.