Lot 205

J. Edgar Hoover TLS: "… the Communist trials in New York … required my presence there"

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J. Edgar Hoover TLS: "… the Communist trials in New York … required my presence there"

Estimate: $200 - $300

Current Bid: $70

(1 Bid)

by University Archives
July 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
88 Danbury Road
Suite 2A
Wilton, CT, US 06897

J. Edgar Hoover
[Washington, DC], July 18, 1955
J. Edgar Hoover TLS: "… the Communist trials in New York … required my presence there"
TLS

A 1p typed letter signed by J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), then Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as "Edgar" at lower right. July 18, 1955. [Washington, D.C.] On stationery with "Federal Bureau of Investigation / United States Department of Justice / Washington, DC" letterhead. Expected light paper folds and a few extra wrinkles. Else near fine. 7.125" x 9.25".

J. Edgar Hoover wrote this letter to his California pen pal, Elizabeth B. Ehrman née Bissinger (1883-1976), a widow and mother of seven sons who lived at the "Oliver Acres" estate in Atherton, California.

Hoover wrote in part:

"…I was interested in your comments concerning the United Nations meetings for I imagine you received a first-hand account of the affair from the telecasts. They are often more selective in what they give their audience and consequently you don't have to listen to all the extraneous matters which actually contribute nothing to the meetings. It was not possible for me to be there for several matters had come up concerning the Communist trials in New York which required my presence there…"

The United Nations had indeed convened multiple sessions in early July 1955, but, as Hoover explained, he couldn't attend because he was tied up in the "Communist trials in New York." This likely referred to the federal grand jury indictment against Harvey Matusow (1926-2002), the ex-Communist FBI paid informant who had gone rogue earlier in the year, publishing an expose about his FBI work called "False Witness." In the book, Matusow alleged that two of the major players of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), Senator Joseph McCarthy and special consul Roy Cohn, had coached Matusow to lie about suspected Communists. Not only were Matusow's allegations extremely embarrassing to the FBI, but it also put in jeopardy several high-profile convictions secured by Matusow's past testimony. For example, Matusow had helped entrap New Mexico mining labor organizer Clinton Jencks the year before; if Matusow was revealed to be a convicted liar, then would the evidence against Jencks and others hold?

On July 13, 1955, Matusow was indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of perjury regarding his allegation that Cohn had coerced him into lying in various Communist trials. On July 29, 1955, Matusow was convicted of perjury and sentenced to several years in prison. Matusow's recanting and criminal conviction underscored a major vulnerability undercutting FBI operations: Hoover's heavy reliance on paid informants to expose domestic threats and crack organized crime rackets.

J. Edgar Hoover's name is synonymous with the intelligence agency that he helped found in 1935: the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The detective served as Director of the Bureau of Investigation (the FBI's predecessor) from 1924-1935, and as Director of the FBI from its inception until his death in 1972. While Hoover took many liberties with the information he collected, critics agree that he also built up, enlarged, modernized, and legitimized the agency.

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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  • Dimensions: 7.125" x 9.25"
  • Medium: TLS

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Bid Increments
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$100 $299 $20
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$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000