Title:
Harry S. Truman 1959 Typed Letter Signed - Thanks Dallas News Editor Allen Duckworth for Photograph with Lyndon B. Johnson and Sam Rayburn - PSA Authenticated

Description:
A historically rich Typed Letter Signed (TLS) by Harry S. Truman, dated November 9, 1959, on his personalized post-presidential stationery headed "HARRY S. TRUMAN / INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI." Written only weeks after Truman traveled to Texas and visited Lyndon B. Johnson's ranch with House Speaker Sam Rayburn, the letter thanks prominent Dallas newspaperman Allen Duckworth for sending Truman a photograph taken with Johnson and Rayburn during his Dallas trip.

Truman writes:

"Dear Mr. Duckworth:

You do not know how very much I appreciated receiving the picture taken with Lyndon Johnson and Sam Rayburn when I was in Dallas. I am more than happy to have it.

Sincerely yours,

Harry Truman

Mr. Allen Duckworth
Dallas News
Dallas 22, Texas"

Truman's large, characteristic "Harry Truman" signature appears boldly in dark ink beneath the typed closing. The letter is particularly desirable for its direct reference to Lyndon B. Johnson and Sam Rayburn, two of the dominant figures in Democratic politics at the end of the 1950s.

The single-page letter remains attractive and readily legible, with light age toning and minor scattered handling or edge wear consistent with a document of this period. Truman's signature is especially strong and well positioned.

Historical Context:
This letter is closely connected to an important gathering of Democratic political power in Texas during the months preceding the 1960 presidential election. Truman's post-presidential papers document that he attended a Democratic Party meeting in Dallas on October 17, 1959, less than a month before this November 9 letter was written. 

The following day, October 18, 1959, Truman visited Lyndon B. Johnson's ranch near Johnson City, Texas, where he spent time with Johnson and longtime House Speaker Sam Rayburn. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library preserves photographs from that visit, including an image specifically documenting former President Truman seated with Rayburn at Johnson's ranch. 

The political timing was significant. Johnson was then Senate Majority Leader and was moving toward a possible campaign for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. Rayburn, one of Johnson's most important political allies and mentors, publicly launched an organization supporting Johnson for president during this same October 1959 period. Contemporary reporting noted that Truman was in Dallas for a Democratic fundraising rally when Rayburn made his announcement. 

Truman's relationship with both Texans stretched back many years. Rayburn had been a crucial congressional leader during Truman's presidency, while Johnson had served in Congress throughout the Truman administration. Truman's own presidential remarks repeatedly praised Rayburn and Johnson during his Texas travels. 

The recipient, Allen Duckworth, is identified directly on the letter as being with the Dallas News. The document therefore also has an appealing journalistic dimension: a Dallas newspaperman supplied the former president with a photograph commemorating his appearance with two of the most powerful Democrats in Congress, and Truman personally acknowledged the gift.

The photograph referenced in the letter is not itself conclusively identified by the correspondence. However, the historical record firmly places Truman with Johnson and Rayburn in Texas during the October 1959 trip immediately preceding this letter. The Truman Library's surviving photographs from the visit provide particularly strong documentation of that association. 

Within a little more than a year, the political landscape would change dramatically. John F. Kennedy defeated Johnson for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960 and then selected Johnson as his running mate. Johnson became Vice President in January 1961 and President following Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. Rayburn remained one of the towering congressional figures of his generation until his death in 1961.

The letter thus captures an intriguing moment immediately before the presidential politics of the 1960s took shape: a former president warmly recalling a photograph of himself alongside the future 36th President of the United States and one of the most consequential Speakers of the House in American history.

Authentication & Encapsulation:
The Harry S. Truman signature has been examined and certified authentic by PSA Authentication Services. The accompanying PSA Letter of Authenticity, dated August 27, 2026, identifies the signer as Harry S. Truman, describes the item as a letter, and assigns it Certification No. AR05710.

PSA states that the signature was examined using characteristics including slant, flow, pen pressure, letter size, and comparison with known authentic exemplars. The Letter of Authenticity includes an image of Truman's signature and bears the corresponding certification information. The letter is accompanied by its PSA authentication documentation and is not shown encapsulated in a PSA holder.

• Additional Documentation & Provenance: At buyer's request, Historical Autographs Gallery will include an additional "Historical Autographs Gallery Certificate" signed by our company founder Luke Pascal at no cost.

Closing Appeal:
An unusually appealing Harry S. Truman TLS with outstanding political association, this 1959 letter brings together three major figures of twentieth-century American government: Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Sam Rayburn. Its reference to a photograph taken during Truman's recent Texas visit places the correspondence within the political maneuvering preceding the 1960 presidential campaign, when Johnson's national ambitions were becoming increasingly visible. The personalized Truman stationery, excellent full signature, Dallas association, direct mention of Johnson and Rayburn, and PSA authentication make this a particularly desirable piece for collectors of presidential correspondence, Texas political history, and important American political autographs.

Shipping Notice:
For insurance purposes, items sold over $600 may require signature confirmation upon delivery. Higher-value items, likely over $1,500, are shipped via FedEx 2-Day with Direct Signature Confirmation. FedEx provides the most flexibility when requiring a signature, allowing you to make special delivery requests directly through their tracking system. This ensures both security and convenience for the buyer.