Dear Mr. President: Letters to the Oval Office from the Files of the National Archives

by Dwight Young

This carefully selected collection of letters, spanning from the earliest days of the Republic to the present, were pulled from the extensive holdings of the National Archives. Archivists searched through hundreds of letters held throughout their network, which includes all of the Presidential libraries. Dear Mr. President reproduces 75 letters from everyday citizens and some quite famous John Glenn, Elvis Presley, Walt Disney, Ho Chi Minh, Nikita Kruschev, Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck, Robert Kennedy, and many more.

An introduction by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and essays by Dwight Young illuminate and expand the tenor of the times in which the letters were written. Full-size facsimiles of the letters are reproduced with transcripts of the text for easy reading, and letters are grouped Civil rights, the cold war, physical fitness, joblessness, World War II, the space race, western expansion, among many other topics.

Dear Mr. President is a charming walk through American history through the eyes of ordinary and extraordinary people writing to their President.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Presidents, Politics

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dear Mr. President,” I myself have written a few times recently, fully aware that my words would someday be public record. Dear Mr. President shares a curated sample of letters to The White House over the lifespan of the United States (to publication in 2004).

With pictures of the original letters, a typed copy of portions when they are hard to read, and accompanying contextualizing information, the book snail-mails its way through American history (with a few telegrams and an internal message or two, as well).

Presidential time is taken up by celebrities, adventurers, world leaders, former presidents, and average citizens young and old. Significant topics are explored, and First Ladies are represented. The supportive, the opposing, and the downright bizarre present their opinions and desires for presidential review.

I had a lot of fun with this one! I look forward to seeing one of my letters in the next edition.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

The President's Address:

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Anybody can write the guy. (Or, if this is being read sometime after our current president, the girl.) Go ahead. Grab a pen and tell him how you think he's doing. It will only take a minute, and what... a $.49 stamp? Ask him a question. Give him a suggestion. Ask him if you could be a "Federal Agent at large" in the war against drugs:



...Elvis did... His handwriting. Oh, man... his handwriting. And the fact it's written on American Airlines letterhead.

One of the strengths of this book is that it includes pictures of all the letters. Most other books don't. Some are funny, others gripping.

Several stood out, including one from Jackie Robinson to IKE "...I was sitting in the audience at the Summit Meeting of Negro Leaders yesterday when you said we must have patience. On hearing you say this, I felt like standing up and saying, 'Oh no! Not again.' ...I respectfully suggest that you unwittingly crush the spirit of freedom in Negroes by constantly urging forbearance and give hope to those pro-segregation leaders like Governor Faubus who would take from us even those freedoms we now enjoy..." pg. 108.

MLK to JFK after the bombing of the Birmingham church, "...In a few hours I will be going to Birmingham. I will sincerely plead with my people to remain non violent in the face of this terrible provocation. However, I am convinced that unless some steps are taken by the federal government to restore a sense of confidence in the protection of life, limb and property, my pleas shall fall on deaf ears and we shall see the worst racial Holocaust this nation has ever seen after today's tragedy, investigation will not suffice..." pg. 112.

And perhaps the one that stuck with me the most is from a girl named Leah Russell, age 12, to IKE. It has a title: How To Stop Trouble. In full, it reads, "If I were president, I would have all the children blindfolded and send some of them to school. I would also send some of the colored children and have them blindfolded. I think that all of them would have a lot of fun and there wouldn't be any fights. Probably after they got to know each other there wouldn't be any more fights or anything like that."

Many of the letters have the full text written on a tan back-ground underneath the original. So it threw me at first when I realized that the tan back-ground was actually a photograph of the original letter, stapled to the lower half of a blank page. Only when I looked at it closer did I realize the page wasn't blank, but actually written in Braille. So, maybe it's because of the profundity of the letter, or my own personal experience with my (often very profound) daughter who happens to be blind - I'm not sure which - either way the letter stuck with me.

I thought all of these would be easy to find online through the national archives, or presidential libraries - which is where the author did most of his research - but I couldn't find them. And the images are copyrighted, so out of respect, I'll not post any that aren't already posted somewhere else...

There's quite a bit in here, some letters feel very personal - like Lady Bird to Lyndon. Others ironic, like a young Fidel Castro to FDR. Some prescient - like Einstein to FDR or the scientists to Truman regarding the bomb.

But it's a surprisingly quick and easy read. I would say this is also true for people who aren't particularly into history. But maybe that's my bias coming through.

Side note: I checked this out because I'm teaching a small section of U.S. Government dealing particularly with primary source documents. I checked out several other books as well, but this one - because of how short it is - is the only one which I read in its entirety. I would be remiss if I didn't thank my former college professor, Susan Cagely for pointing me in this direction. She suggested Letters of a Nation and War Letters - both by Andrew Carroll - which I'm also using in the class. As I was in the 973.099 section of the library I stumbled across quite a number of useful gems, so thanks.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My standard operating procedure when perusing a book that I might possibly purchase or borrow from the library is to read the first few lines on the first page. If I'm hooked by those sentences, then the book goes home with me.

Of course, exceptions must be made, as in the case of this book, which is an anthology of letters written to U.S. Presidents over the years, from George Washington to Bill Clinton. As I flipped through the book to find something that captured me, I saw a letter from Annie Davis, a slave, to President Lincoln: "It is my Desire to be free...please let me know if we are free and what I can do...please send me word this week or as soon as possible."

And I was hooked.

This book is a very quick read (I finished it in less than 24 hours) that is thoroughly entertaining. At moments, it is laugh-out-loud funny, as when 12-year-old Fidel Castro wrote to FDR asking him for a $10 bill because he'd never seen a $10 U.S. bill before. At other times, it was both moving and shocking, as when I read a series of letters, written by different people to different presidents over the course of 30 years, beseeching the leaders of our nation to speak out against the practice of lynching. Because I'm a big sap, I also cried over a letter written by a young man to Dwight D. Eisenhower, asking him to give his 22-year-old friend - completely paralyzed by polio - a wave when he passed by his house while golfing (Ike did so).

I can only imagine the thousands of letters the author had to sift through to find the ones he put in this anthology and I think he did a great job. It made me proud to know that we have so many eloquent writers in our nation with such deep things on their minds.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess: I really like reading other people's mail. In my defense, I only do it when it's been published. I love collections of letters, and I love epistolary novels. This was a wonderful mix of light and somber.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining and thought provoking collection of letters to the president(s) from the National Archives.

Some of the more notable letters include:
The King of Siam's letter to Abraham Lincoln; the letter from 54th of Massachusetts, asking for equal pay for Black soldiers, "Are we soldiers or are we laborers?"; Annie Oakley offering to William McKinley to head a female group of sharpshooters in a war against Spain; Amelia Earhart sharing her secret flight plans with FDR; 12-year-old Fidel Castro asking FDR for a U.S. ten-dollar bill; Harold Ickes (Secretary of the Interior in 1944) attesting that Japanese internment was unconstitutional; the scores of letters about the Civil Rights Movement; Albert Einstein warning that atomic weapons pose both a supreme physical and moral threat; a handwritten recipe for drop scones the Queen made at Balmoral and forgot to write down for Eisenhower.


My favorites:
*A ten-year-old Miss Weatherhogg asking FDR that fathers be drafted alphabetically
* The letters about pets
* The letter from Linda Kelly and her friends to Eisenhower: "It's bad enough to send Elvis Presley in the Army, but if you cut his sideburns off, we will just die!"
*12-year-old Leah Russell's 1957 letter in braille saying that the way to end racism is to send every child to school blindfolded.
*7th-grader Andy Smith, whose mother declared his bedroom a disaster, so he was writing to request federal relief funds. And Reagan's awesome response.

[Eric Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being published 17 years ago, right before the social media explosion, then reading it today in the midst of the most devisive time in my life, this book provided very thoughtful and important reminders. The United States has been through many different crises. The Civil War, Slavery, Two world wars, Vietnam, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Abortion Rights (these last 3 continue today), Watergate, Iraq and the list goes on and all are represented here. Yet these letters remind us that there have always been 2 sides to each issue and we have persevered, even finding joy in times where we wouldn't expect it. A great reminder for today.

The letters contained in this volume are written by children, housewives, store owners, athletes, famous politicians, celebrities and some of the world's greatest minds. The range of insightful thoughts and sentiments is amazing for only 191 pages.

I'm not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination, but I very much enjoyed this collection and was profoundly struck by the choice of letters to represent the adversity and the joy we have experienced as a country.

If you want to be reminded of who we are as a country, I'd recommend this book and Dan Rather's book "What Unites Us" both are wonderful reminders of where we've been, how far we've come and the potential we have to grow further.

[Marianne Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this powerful collection of letters a touching, enlightening and terrifying skip through history. I'm so glad I found this book on my library shelf and would love to discover many more like it. I'm proud of the research done to find these letters as well as the letter writers to the various presidents. I also enjoyed the many thoughtful responses from our presidents back to citizens. I'm reminded of the sweet and informative letter that I sent to a recent president which was not responded to. I assumed that it was trashed. Maybe not. Maybe, somehow it did end up in storage for the future to discover.

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph, Central patron, June 2018, 5 stars:

Dear Mr. President by Dwight Young gives an excellent glimpse in some of the letters that our nation's leaders received from the public in the U.S. and even from other nations during their terms in office. I laughed, I was provoked, I was stunned, and I was amazed, all while reading this book. This easy read can be done in one day, which I did, and I even shared it with friends afterwards, and they enjoyed what they read too. I recommend this book as a starting glimpse in presidential archives to all readers!

[Sharon Falduto]

Letters written to presidents--grandiose things, like the king of Siam offering Lincoln some elephants, Jackie Robinson arguing for equal rights, and more everyday things, like a young man who wrote to president Reagan and asked for federal funds to clean up his room, which his mom had declared "a disaster area." (Reagan wrote back that the boy should begin a volunteer initiative.)

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and inspiring. Especially liked Reagan's section.

[Rose Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Varied collection of letters to the Presidents. Touching, funny and heartfelt.

[Debbie Gleason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and quick read...nothing earth-shaking here, but fun to see.

[Laren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a sampling of letters written to US Presidents over the years and provides historical perspective of what was going on in the world at the time so you don't need to be a history expert to appreciate them. The letters are actually photocopied in their original form, although there are typed "translations" too in case you can't read the handwriting. The range of subjects covered is sweeping, and the letter writers are young and old, men and women, famous people and unknown citizens. There are letters from Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, Elvis Presley and even a love note from Lady Bird Johnson to her husband. Occasionally the President's response is also noted, such as in the case of a boy writing to President Reagan to request disaster relief funds to help clean his room, which his mother declared a disaster area. Most letters are more serious though, covering subjects such as slavery, civil rights, animal rights, wars, space travel, foreign aid and art and fitness programs. NBC's Brian Williams wrote the foreword and shares his own letter written when he was still a kid. Finally they explain about the Presidential archives which preserves these letters and many, many more. This is overall a fascinating look at the people and their President.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and illuminating book of letters from people to various presidents, from George Washington to Bill Clinton, from the National Archives. It includes a letter from the King of Siam to Abraham Lincoln in 1861, where he graciously offers to set up an elephant habitat in the United States, (Lincoln politely demurs) as well as letters from children, celebrities and other foreign heads of state. Some are kind of silly, (a Texas dog association writes to President Johnson to complain about LBJ's penchant for lifting his beagles up by their ears) and some are moving, (the St. Regis Mohawk Indians write President Truman to thank him for burying one of their tribal members at Arlington National Cemetery after he had been banned from a local cemetery.) I was shocked to read a letter from John Steinbeck to President Johnson in 1966 that called anti-war demonstrators "Copperheads", (John Steinbeck is one of my literary heroes) but there were so many typos in it that Steinbeck was probably on a bender.

Some of the letters are from children. One kid asks Ronald Reagan for federal money because "my mother has declared my room a disaster area." Cute, poignant, enlightening.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Talk about an interesting collection--strange sort of combination of self-deprecating patriotism and murky transparency. I mean, these letters really were sent to the presidents, but how representative are they? Look, the National Archives are showing you what they have in their collection!...except that transparency in our government is at an all-time low. Look, we're proclaiming to the world some of the awful trials and dirty scandals this country has gone through!...but we've also surmounted them because this country is the best on earth (where else do people so enthusiastically air their dirty laundry?). But still, it's a pretty book with some pretty stirring communications, especially when put into the context of when it was published (2005). When I read stuff like this, it makes me yearn for that simple, happy time when being patriotic was so easy and fulfilling (elementary school comes to mind).

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I skimmed and skipped around but this is the kind of book I'd look for and buy at a used book sale. Some letters were amusing, some very historically significant, and some emotionally stirring. My favorites were: a letter from Herbert Hoover thanking Truman for letting him serve the gov't again, the stepbrother looking for his relative who went on a mercy mission for Jews in Hungary, the Sec of the Interior denouncing Japanese-American internment but the one that made me tear up was from a Mohawk Orginaztion thanking Pres. Truman for burying a slain soldier in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors after the people in his hometown refused to since he was Native American. A wonderful look into attitudes and times in history.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of letters that have been sent over the years to the President of the United States. Some are hilarious, from children, others are heart breaking. Its covers the range of human emotion, of time, and place in society. I think such collections are important. This collection shows what real, normal (and by that I mean non-politicians) were thinking, and sometimes even when they disagreed with each other.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool collection of letters sent to the White House over several decades. The letters are scanned and reproduced in their original glory. Some of the letters are funny, some are disturbing, and others are just interesting. The letter from Elvis is especially cool, as are letters in support of WPA programs. Visually stimulating and interesting.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly great collection- representative of the issues of the times surrounding the correspondences. the author provides sufficient backstory and follow-up. Each page in intriguing and concise. Well done.

[Knitcookwrite · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of letters throughout the course of the presidency. It includes hand written letters, some barely legible; typed notes; letters from famous people; and includes an email from outer space. Some are admiring, some critical, some hateful, but all passionate.

[Pete Iseppi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. I contained several letters to the Presidents over the years from the famous to the common man. The topics ranged from serious to whimsical. Worth a look if you like this sort of thing.

[Marguerite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as a gift and it was great. I have a bundle of letters where my grandmother wrote President Franklin Roosevelt to try to receive a Civil War Pension for her mother. She received that $8 pension until 1947.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting letters to various presidents in history, with orginal copys and explinations behind who wrote the letter and why. A good conversational book.

[The Cat In The Hat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting perspective from a historical context. I love evaluating the changes in morales and social attitudes over the years....

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny. Thanks, Becky, for sharing this with me after we visited the Archives together!

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interresting book. and a some what fast read. My faviote ones were from the kids.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice souvenir from the JFK Library.

[Liam Arne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly some interesting stuff here! Amazing to see the evolution of America through these primary documents.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was special. The selection of letters was fascinating, and the author(s) did a wonderful job providing context. I learned quite a lot!

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting look at a lot of important moments in history.