Calvin Coolidge TLS Extending 50th Wedding Anniversary Wishes to Christian Endeavor Societies Founder

A 1p typed letter signed by 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) as "Calvin Coolidge" at lower right. Dated July 6, 1926 on a single leaf of stationery with "The White House / Washington" letterhead. The letter is laid down on a cream stock mount, which is in turn adhered to a newspaper clipping entitled "A Golden-Wedding Greeting" verso. A faint paperclip impression can be found in the upper left hand corner, else near fine. The sight size of the letter is 6.25" x 7.5."

President Coolidge extended his congratulations to Reverend Dr. Francis E. Clark (1851-1927) and his wife Harriet Abbott Clark (1850-1945), who would celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in three months' time on October 3, 1926. (Sadly, this would prove to be Dr. Clark's last wedding anniversary, since he would die on May 26, 1927.) The couple had wed on October 3, 1876 soon after Dr. Clark's graduation from the Andover Theological Seminary.

President Coolidge wrote in part: "For kindred spirits to have had the privilege of one another's love and companionship for half a century is a blessing to them. That your lives should have been consecrated to the service of religion through such an organization as the Christian Endeavor Societies is a blessing to the world…"

Dr. Clark had founded the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, the world's first youth ministry, in 1881 as a recently ordained Congregational minister. Dr. Clark believed that young, church-going Christians should be offered separate opportunities to study, pray, and discuss the Gospel together. He determined this after observing that younger members of his congregation in the Williston Congregational Church in Portland, Maine seemed disconnected from older members. This concept of a youth-oriented ministry became so popular that other society chapters sprung up around the world, in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa, Australia, China, Japan, and India. Thirty years after it was established, Christian Endeavor Societies boasted approximately 3.5 million members worldwide. Its membership is still active today.

President Calvin Coolidge--like Dr. Clark--was a Congregationalist. The Clarks lived in Massachusetts during their later life, where Coolidge had also resettled. Coolidge served as president between 1923-1929.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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