Lot # 36: 1937 NFL President Joe Carr Typed Letter Signed on League Letterhead with Second Ever NFL Draft Player Selection List - Beckett LOA & PSA/DNA LOA

A highly pleasing signature by one of the most elusive Pro Football Hall of Famers surfaces, with the presentation of this 1937 typed letter signed by sitting NFL president Joe Carr. Jim Thorpe was the first NFL president from 1920-1921; Carr succeeded Thorpe in 1921 as the second NFL president, and he remained in the position until his demise from a heart attack in 1939. Given the distant date of Carr's passing, his signature tops the want lists of most advanced collectors. Dated July 8, 1937, on the National Football League letterhead, this antique correspondence served as a cover letter for a three-page list of players selected in the second-ever NFL Draft, which was held on December 12, 1936, at the Hotel Lincoln in New York City. This letter is addressed to Rud Rennie, a prominent sports reporter for the New York Herald-Tribune. Carr concluded his brief letter with "Trusting this will reach you in time to serve your purpose, asking you to acknowledge receipt, and with kindest personal regards, I am, Very truly yours, Joe F. Carr, President." Carr's generously sized signature is both stylish and distinct. Wear is relatively light, including an oxidized paperclip impression at top-left of the page, and a few minute tears and notches along the left edge. Otherwise, this twice-folded letter remains crisp, attractive, and well-suited for framed display. Named on the accompanying Draft list are Hall of Famers Sammy Baugh, selected sixth overall by the Boston Redskins just prior to their relocation to Washington, D.C. in 1937, and Ace Parker, selected by the Brooklyn Dodgers with their second-round pick. The three-page list has also been folded twice. Wear is light to moderate, though the third page is a bit ragged on the left edge, without compromising any of the names or other information. In summation, this letter and draft list are of great historic significance, and Carr's fantastic signature is a grand prize of gargantuan importance. Full LOA from Steve Grad and Brian Sobrero/Beckett Authentication Services. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.