Steve Jobs Signed Program with Additional Signatures from Wayne Gretzky and Ed Asner. Twelve pages, 8 1/2 x 11 inches, [New Orleans, Louisiana]; June 26, 1982. A program for the 1982 American Academy of Achievement's "Gathering of the Greats" award ceremony, featuring a rare early autograph from Steve Jobs. Jobs, who was famously reluctant to give his autograph, signs, "steven jobs." With ten additional signatures, including Wayne Gretzky and Ed Asner. At just 26 years old in 1982, Jobs was already a rising icon. He was only six years removed from co-founding Apple Computer in his parents' garage, but had already amassed a personal fortune exceeding $250 million and stood on the brink of international recognition. All of the signatures were obtained by our consignor who was invited to attend the event as part of a youth group. He recalls the experience: "In 1982, I was invited to New Orleans to the American Academy of Achievement...It was overwhelming and amazing, to be honest...I talked about hockey with Wayne Gretzky. I danced with Brooke Shields!...Ed Asner talked to me about acting (I would later become an actor and playwright) and signed my program with 'Best of Life' telling me if I just stuck to it, even if I didn't get famous, I would be happy. (He was very, very right.) And as I worked my way down the table, I saw somebody not many people were talking to. It was Steve Jobs (Steven at the time), talking to young people. I told him, 'I think computers are cool.' And he said, 'I think they are, too!' We talked for several minutes...and then, as another eager young geek came up to the table, Jobs signed my program and wished me well. I've kept the program and hardbound yearbook for over 40 years as a reminder that no matter what heights you rise to in life, the real rewards come from passing along your goodwill and attention to those following you. Mr. Jobs certainly lived up to that for me." The American Academy of Achievement's award ceremony convened leading figures from a wide range of fields—including the arts, sciences, education, sports, law, and medicine—to recognize and celebrate professional excellence. Jobs, already a dedicated iconoclast, fully embraced the spotlight. Contemporary coverage from The Washington Post captured Jobs' unconventional presence at the event, reporting that he "threw off his jacket and told a rapt audience of 340 teenagers: ‘You might want to go to Paris and be a poet, or go to a Third World country. I strongly suggest that one. Go see lepers with their hands falling off. Or fall in love with two people at the same time... And don't walk away from Zen Buddhists. Sit down and buy them lunch and talk.'" The program is also signed by Ed Asner, with the inscription noted in the statement above: "Jeff, Best of Life / Ed Asner." Additional signatures in the program include Admiral Bob Inman of the U. S. Navy, cartoonist Mike Peters, Brigadier General James Lee Dozier of the U. S. Army, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Paul Henderson. There is also a Banquet of the Golden Plate book, containing the signature of Wayne Gretzky ("Wayne Gretzky, 99"), as well as Father Bruce Ritter, educator and social justice advocate Marva Collins, Captain Gerald L. Coffee of the U. S. Navy, and Atari founder Nolan K. Bushnell. Condition: Program lightly toned with minor edgewear. Book with a touch of soiling to the covers; gold foil decoration on upper cover with small crease at top edge. Signatures are bold and dark. References: Hendrickson, Paul. "Getting Along Famously: The Academy of Achievement's Corner on Celebrity." The Washington Post, July 13, 1982. HID03101062020 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

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