This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/4/2017
The 1936 clash of the Naval Academy and West Point football teams went down as one of the most hard-fought of the 117 meetings between the two rivals. For three quarters, each team fought to gain an edge to no avail. Deep into the fourth quarter, neither team had yet scored. Finally, Navy capitalized on Heisman Trophy winner Monk Meyer’s fumble and scored a touchdown with two minutes left on the clock: Navy-7 Army-0. Compared to their initial game in 1890 witnessed by just cadets and midshipmen, the 102,000 fans who turned out for the 1936 Army-Navy Game proved how popular the annual meeting had become. One of those 102,000 was President Franklin Roosevelt, former Secretary of the Navy and diehard Midshipman fan.
The President signed the cover of this game program along with 38 players and luminaries present for the game. The fountain pen signatures have aged to a golden brown and stand out nicely on the white background, with Roosevelt’s one of the strongest on the page. Mounted on the reverse of the piece is a signed letter from Postmaster General James Farley regarding his having obtained the President signature on Ferrara’s cover. The piece shows heavy edge wear and some tearing to the left top corner. The 8 3/4” x 12” cover has been detached from the rest of the program and has been mounted and matted. A very attractive piece from college football’s greatest rivalries, signed by one of the most beloved presidents in United States history.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.