Lot 206

J. Edgar Hoover TLS: 1957 "the Little Rock situation" Great Civil Rights, Integration Content

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J. Edgar Hoover TLS: 1957 "the Little Rock situation" Great Civil Rights, Integration Content

Estimate: $350 - $500

Current Bid: $120

(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], October 7, 1957
J. Edgar Hoover TLS: 1957 "the Little Rock situation" Great Civil Rights, Integration Content
TLS

A 2pp typed letter signed by J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), then Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as "Edgar" at the center of the second page. October 7, 1957. [Washington, D.C.] On watermarked paper with "Federal Bureau of Investigation / United States Department of Justice / Washington, D.C." letterhead. Expected light paper folds and a few extra wrinkles. Staple holes at upper left. Else near fine. 7" 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 in Atherton, California.

Hoover wrote in part:

"You are certainly right about the pressure of work which we in the Bureau continually encounter and this period is about as hectic in that regard as any we have known. There is always another case or another phase to replace the one just solved or settled and we are currently involved in the ramifications growing out of the Little Rock situation. I consider these to be most critical days for our country and only hope that a reasonable solution can be reached in the near future…"

The "Little Rock situation" referred to the failed attempt to racially integrate Little Rock Central High School on September 4, 1957. Nine teenaged Black students, dubbed the Little Rock Nine, were barred from the school when Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus mobilized the Arkansas National Guard. The subsequent weeks of turmoil - in which Governor Faubus continued to contravene the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on integration established in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education - led President Dwight D. Eisenhower to issue an executive order federalizing the Arkansas National Guard, enabling the Black students to attend Little Rock Central High School after September 23, 1957. Around the same time, an attempt at racial integration in Nashville public elementary schools resulted in similarly violent upheaval.

Interestingly, Hoover perceived the single event at Little Rock as having a web of interconnected "ramifications." Some of these consequences touched on the FBI's ability to protect the American people from a sharp rise in domestic terrorism. The attempted school integrations in the South sparked off open KKK demonstrations, "intimidation rallies," physical assaults, arson, and bombings. In addition, events like these generated discussion about what role the agency should play. For example, some believed that FBI agents should be deputized as local law enforcement agents. Hoover and Governor Faubus butted heads in the press throughout Fall 1957, trading allegations about lying (Faubus), and detaining teenaged students for interrogation (Hoover). The "Little Rock situation" had explosive potential for bad public relations.

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" x 9.25"
  • Medium: TLS

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$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