Smylie, who left the post of Governor in January of 1967, writes to Halpern, addressing him as "Sy", "I take great pleasure in scribbling across the picture [not here present] which is enclosed herewith."
Robert E. Smylie [1914-2004] was an American Republican politician and attorney from Idaho, He began practicing law in Washington DC but left his practice in 1942 to join the U.S. Coast Guard as a lawyer. He was stationed in Philadelphia and the Philippines during World War II, returning to private practice in 1946. In 1947 he became deputy attorney general of Idaho under Robert Ailshie and was promoted to attorney general on the sudden death of Ailshie later that year. After being elected to a full term in 1950, he ran successfully for governor in 1954, serving twelve years from January 1955 to January 1967.
The Queens, New York Republican Congressman Seymour Halpern (1913-1997) started his political career as a campaign aide to New York's powerful mayor Fiorella La Guardia and first served in New York's State Senate for 14 years before seeking a seat in the U.S. Congress. In Albany Halpern sponsored 279 bills that became law, including measures on schools, housing, civil rights, nutrition and mental health. A Liberal, he was something of an anomaly as the lone Republican representative from New York City, and generally garnered support from Labor Unions and endorsement from the Liberal Party. Yet he never even considered switching parties as he considered membership in the Republican Party a family tradition and commitment. While he found ample time for his private pursuits, including painting and collecting autographs, he took his legislative duties very seriously. Of these, he was proudest of his co-sponsorship of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and of the original 1965 Medicare legislation. Very good .
Keywords: AMERICANA; STATE GOVERNORS; REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN; ATTORNEY; TYPED LETTER SIGNED BY ROBERT E. SMYLIE, 24TH GOVERNOR OF IDAHO, SENDING CONGRESSMAN SEYMOUR HALPERN A SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH; TLS; T.L.S.; SIGNATURE; AUTOGRAPH; U.S. COAST GUARD; ATTORNEY GENERAL OF