Lot 7
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Printed Prayer written by Dwight D. Eisenhower for his 1953 Inauguration, Signed, Inscribed, and Dated ("Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953. For: Mrs. Delores Moaney"), in brown ink, 1 pg., quarto. Printed on heavy tan parchment paper, in old manuscript style, with beautiful raised red and blue on gold initial lettering, as well as in the words "God" and "Amen"; also, raised red against blue title, "The President's Prayer." Inscribed to the Eisenhowers' personal maid and cook for over 25 years, who went with them to live at the Gettysburg Farm after the President's retirement; she was also the wife of Sgt. John Moaney, who served as Eisenhower's valet from 1942 until Ike's death in 1969. So far as we know, Eisenhower was the first President to utter a prayer before his Inaugural Address. This is the first item in this format signed by President Eisenhower that we have ever encountered.
In his book, Mandate For Change, Eisenhower describes how this prayer came about. On the Sunday before the Inauguration, he and his family attended church at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. On his way back from church, he decided, with Mamie and his son's approval, to write a brief prayer to read before his Inaugural Address. He hastily wrote this three-paragraph prayer in five to ten minutes, hoping to make his faith clear "without creating the impression that I intended, as the political leader of the United States, to avoid my own responsibilities in an effort to pass them on to the Deity…." The concluding paragraph says, in part: "Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people, regardless of station, race or calling. May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concept of our Constitution, hold to differing political beliefs…."
Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500.
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| Realized $1,208 |
