Reagan on Lynching and Race Issues, Ex-Forbes

RONALD REAGAN, Autograph Letter Initialed, to Mrs. Dorothy Nisby White, April 18, 1967. 2 pp., 4.75? x 8.375?. Excellent.

California governor Ronald Reagan explains his position on the death penalty and denies that race played a role in his approval of the execution of Aaron Mitchell, convicted of killing a Sacramento policeman during a restaurant robbery.

Complete Transcript

4/18

Dear Mrs. White

I hope you wont mind my answering your letter which Nancy gave me. Let me say incidentally it didn’t reach us until last Thursday.

I’m sure you realize the decision with regard to Aaron Mitchell was not easy. Indeed it and other decisions of this kind yet to be faced cannot be adequately described. Only a trial judge or those who have served on a jury can have an understanding of the soul searching involved in such decisions.

From your letter it seems apparent that we disagree with regard to the death penalty. Regardless of that it is a part of our system of law and so long as it is no Gov. can take it upon himself to avoid his responsibility under the law. I do believe it is a deterrent making each one of us a little safer and pushing back the rule of force and violence until hopefully one day such penalties wont be required.

You wrote of a time and place where Americans because of their race were subjected to inhuman treatment including brutal lynchings. Was this not possible because the power of law had been made impotent? If the perpetrators of this brutality had faced swift and sure punishment—capital punishment isn’t it possible these brutal violations of human rights would have been curbed?

I’m disturbed that your letter indicates a belief that my decision could have been influenced by the racial factor. This is completely untrue & I would be incapable of such a thing for the simple reason that I have never in my own mind divided human beings by race. I too am concerned for your son and pray that he and every other young American will return safely.

Sinc RR

Historical Background

In 1963, Aaron Mitchell (1930-1967), an African American, killed Sacramento policeman Arnold Z. Gamble during a restaurant hold-up. Mitchell was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On April 12, 1967, Mitchell was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin, while protestors demonstrated against capital punishment outside the prison, at the capitol, and outside Reagan’s home in Sacramento. It was the first execution in California in four years, due to several court decisions on due process and a former governor, Edmund G. Brown, who opposed capital punishment.

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was born in Illinois and graduated from Eureka College in 1932. After working as a radio announcer for several years, he took a screen test in 1937 that led to a contract with Warner Brothers Studios. Reagan served as governor of California from 1967 to 1975. He won election over two-term incumbent Pat Brown. As governor, he opposed the idea of the welfare state and favored less government regulation of the economy. After an unsuccessful attempt to recall him in 1968, Reagan won reelection in 1970 for a second term. He did not seek reelection in 1974, but went on in 1976 to seek the Presidency. He narrowly lost theRepublican nomination to incumbent Gerald Ford, but wenton to winin1980 over DemocraticincumbentJimmyCarter to become the 40thPresident of theUnitedStates (1981-1989).

DorothyRiceNisby White (1923-1996) wasborninTexasandmarried Cleveland Nisby (1919-2011) in 1942. After their divorce, she married William M. White in 1965, in Los Angeles, California.

Ex. The Forbes Collection. MalcolmForbes (1919-1990), American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine, and consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial and broad collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences, and sat on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance when attached to an item like the one above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.

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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