ARCHIVE OF THREE TYPED LETTERS SIGNED (TLSs)

Washington, 1980, 1988, 1991. Letter. Light creases from mailing. Fine. Three TYPED LETTERS SIGNED "John" on House of Representatives stationery to Jay Richard Kennedy. In the two later letters Dingell congratulates Kennedy and sends good wishes. The earliest letter from 1980 has more revealing content. In part: "I have two sons who are now engineers in Michigan and although their jobs appear safe, both are being somewhat squeezed by the recession going on up there. Unemployment is around 14 percent for the state.... I have reconstructed my life after a very difficult divorce, have remained single, attained jurisdiction of the kids, and survived a series of elections and a lot of hard work as Chairman of the Subcomittee on Energy and Power. Although I am not totally content, things are going about as well as a man in my place can expect, and I look forward to the new year making it better as time goes forward." John Dingell holds the record as the longest-serving member of Congress in American history (1955-2015). His widow, Deborah Ann Dingell, whom he married the year after this letter was written, took over his seat in Congress in 2015 and continues to serve in that capacity. Two of the three envelopes are present.

Jay Richard Kennedy was an author, screenwriter, composer, publisher, FBI spy, record executive, and Harry Belafonte's business manager. After working for Frank Sinatra, he left entertainment and started a psychotherapy clinic called the Center For Human Problems and was accused of practicing psychotherapy without a license in a cultish environment.