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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Kennedy, Robert Francis, 1925-1968 to Jackie Robinson

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09754.06 Author/Creator: Kennedy, Robert Francis, 1925-1968 Place Written: Washington, District of Columbia Type: Typed letter signed Date: 11 May 1961 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 26.5 cm, Width: 20.3 cm Order a Copy

One typed letter addressed to Jackie Robinson dated May 11, 1961 from Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy writes to Robinson commending him for his work related to civil rights. "We intend to follow through with vigorous enforcement of the civil rights laws and I believe we will make progress. However, the record will speak for itself three or four years from now. You will make a judgment and so will the people of the United States, as well as those overseas. You have made a great contribution in the civil rights field and you can be of considerable assistance in seeing that we keep moving ahead."

Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972
Kennedy, Robert Francis, 1925-1968

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