WALTER J. HICKEL - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 26777

WALTER J. HICKEL
Signed b/w photo of Walter J. Hickel, President Richard M. Nixon's Secretary of the Interior and twice Governor of Alaska. Comes with 1979 secretarial letter of transmittal. From the collection of radio interviewer George Sanders.
Photograph signed: "Walter J. Hickel/Sec. of Interior 69-70/Gov. of Alaska- 66-69" in brown ink. B/w, 8x9¾ overall, 7½x9½ image, one surface. Minor surface creases (not evident head on). Signature has poor adhesion and low contrast but is legible. 1 touches the second "6" in 66. File nicks at blank right edge. Fine condition. Accompanied by TLS: "Yvonne Lindblom" as Personal Secretary to Walter J. Hickel. 1 page, 7x10¼, on Hickel's personalized letterhead. July 5, 1979. Addressed to George R. Sanders, Enka, NC, sending the autographed photo and transcribing the inscription. Lightly creased at upper margin. Fine condition. Hickel (1919-2010), a native of Kansas, moved to Alaska in 1940 and led the fight for Alaskan statehood. He served as Governor of Alaska (Republican, 1966-1969; Alaskan Independence Party, 1990-1994). Hickel, a World War II veteran who served on the Republican National Committee from Alaska Territory (1954-1959) and the Republican National Committee from Alaska (1960-1964), also established a construction company that grew into a multi-million dollar business. A strong environmentalist, he was U. S. Secretary of the Interior under President Richard M. Nixon (1969-1970), but was forced to resign after making critical statements about Nixon's hostility to anti-war demonstrators. Two items.