Letter to Congressman Bruce Alger from Dallas resident

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Typed two-page letter to Congressman Bruce Alger from Dallas resident James W. Rutledge, dated January 2, 1964, signed in blue ink. The letter is typed on United Fidelity Life Insurance Company letterhead. Rutledge states a few times throughout his letter that he does not believe that the passing of any legislation, including the Civil Rights Bill, should be based on sentiment or as a memorial to President Kennedy. He refers to the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas as "Black Friday."

Object Details

Object title:

Letter to Congressman Bruce Alger from Dallas resident

Date:

01/02/1964

Terms:

Letters

Legislation

Civil rights

Tributes

Memorials

Letterhead

Kennedy, John F.

Alger, Bruce

Dallas

Washington, D.C.

Medium:

Paper

Dimensions:

10 1/2 × 7 1/4 in. (26.7 × 18.4 cm)

Credit line:

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection

Object number:

2014.003.0111.0002

Curatorial Note:

Bruce Alger (1918-2015) was one of the larger-than-life ultraconservative personalities that dominated the political image of Dallas in the years before the Kennedy assassination. In 1954, the Dallas native became the first Republican congressman from Texas since Reconstruction. During his decade in Congress, he was considered one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House. For example, in addition to sponsoring a bill for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations, he was the only congressman to oppose a federally-funded school lunch program. Alger was particularly critical of the Kennedy administration and was present when Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson were accosted in Dallas during the last days of the 1960 campaign. - Stephen Fagin, Associate Curator