Abner J. Mikva, Congressman, Chief Judge, Typed & Signed Letter with Env 1970

Description

Abner J. Mikva
Chicago Congressman, Chief Judge US Court of Appeals (DC), White House Counsel
Typed & Signed Letter with Envelope, 12/2/1970
This neat letter is on letterhead for the Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, and is sent by Abner J. Mikva, noted Congressman (2nd), judge (US Court of Appeals in DC, appointed by Jimmy Carter), and White House Counsel for Bill Clinton. This letter was in 1970, while he was still the Representative for the 2nd District of Illinois. It is a somewhat personal letter to a neighbor (Art Lowenthal), both residents at the time of the neighborhood of Hyde Park in Chicago. Mr. Mikva and his lovely wife Zoe lived in this neighborhood for many years until his death in 2016. After his retirement from the bench, he also taught law at the University of Chicago Law School.
The letter and envelope are addressed to Mr. A. (Arthur) D. Lowenthal, the father of a friend of mine who collected signatures. In this instance, responding to a brutal and expensive Congressional election involving Mikva, Lowenthal had written a letter to the Chicago Daily News and an editorial for the Southeast Economist, which he wanted to share with Judge Mikva. This letter is Mikva's thank you.
According to Wikipedia:
Abner Joseph Mikva (January 21, 1926 – July 4, 2016) was an American politician, federal judge, lawyer and law professor. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Mikva served in the United States House of Representatives representing Illinois's 2nd congressional district (1969–1973) and 10th congressional district (1975–1979). He was appointed as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by President Jimmy Carter, serving from 1979 to 1994. He served as the White House Counsel in 1994-95 during Bill Clinton's presidency. In his later career, Mikva taught law at University of Chicago Law School, Georgetown Law Center and Northwestern University. He mentored future President of the United States Barack Obama during his early years in law. In 2014 Obama honored Mikva with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The paper for the letter measures 10.5 inches by 8 inches, and has a double fold. The envelope is 9.5 inches by 4-1/8 inches, with a franking mark for Mikva, postmarked Washington D.C., Dec. 3, 1970. Both pieces are in very good condition. The envelope was slit across the top, and the back flap is still sealed to the envelope body, with a little wrinkling on the corners. The envelope has a return address for the House of Representatives.
The letter is very clean and clear, with no wrinkles, scuffs, or tears. It is signed in blue ink with a personal signature "Ab," as the judge was known to his friends.  (I had the pleasure of working with both Judge Mikva and Zoe while the Judge was at the UChicago Law School. He really was as nice as everyone says he was.)
Both letter and envelope are addressed to Mr. A. D. Lowenthal, 1605 East 50th Street, Chicago Illinois 60615, which is in the Hyde Park-Kenwood neighborhood on the South Side of the city. (Shipping for this letter and envelope will be by USPS Priority Delivery, flat rate envelope, well packed.)