Robert L. White (1948-2003)Mary Gallagher

Collecting is a passion of the curious mind. An individual can be absorbed by the historical, cultural or artistic merit of an object and concurrently relish the hunt and pride of ownership. That was Robert White—the quintessential collector. Although renowned internationally as having the finest private collection of Kennedy memorabilia in the world, Robert”s other collections of Americana were equally impressive. Spanning the 18th – 20th centuries, the categories of his fascinating historic memorabilia include: American wars (Civil War through the Korean War), patriotic, presidential, hotel, autographs and Hollywood memorabilia, to mention a few. This auction is a tribute to those eclectic interests.

At the tender age of eight Robert White plunged into the world of collecting when he sent a letter to Lassie requesting an autograph or a paw print. The book that inspired his first request, Lassie, will be on display during the exhibition along with other personal mementos and a video of Robert's life produced by his younger son Zach. That early request for Lassie’s paw print spawned a non-stop 46-year collecting journey that is partially represented by the property for sale in this auction.

Robert was a self-described tactile historian. Throughout his teenage years, a U.S. Army tour working in military museums and his adult life, he collected property that historic figures had used and/or touched. Totally captivated by this ownership of history, he went out of his way to share his extensive collections with other collectors, museums, schools and the general public. His favorite audience, however, was children. Enraptured by his ability to bring history alive, many of his young “students” found his enthusiasm irresistible and started collections of their own. He measured this passing of the mantle of collecting to the next generation as his greatest success.

His life's ambition was to display his world-class Kennedy collection in a museum setting and to share it with the public. This dream came to fruition in 1998 when the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, mounted an elaborate exhibition of his Kennedy collection that remained on display for five consecutive years. Part of that collection was included in a traveling exhibit.

While in sales until 1994, Robert White’s true occupation was that of collector, co-owner of Federal Hill Autographs and occasional dealer. In constant demand as a speaker and for interviews, he received voluminous media coverage over the years. In 1997, Fox TV honored him as "Collector of the Year".


Senator Daniel Patrick MoynihanProvidencia Paredes

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan was one of the most popular and influential American statesmen of the 20th century with a government career that spanned nearly 50 years. Born in Oklahoma, he was raised in New York City where he shined shoes and sold newspapers during the Great Depression and graduated first in his class from Benjamin Franklin High School in Harlem. He attended City College, joined the Navy, studied as a Fulbright scholar at the London School of Economics and completed his PhD at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

His public service career began with Mayor Wagner and Governor Harriman of New York. The only American to serve in four successive presidential cabinets (Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford), Moynihan was an acclaimed diplomat who served as US Ambassador to India and the United Nations and was one of two Senators from New York to serve four consecutive terms as Senator (1982-2000). In the 1982 and 1988 elections, Moynihan won by the largest plurality in American Senate history.

He was celebrated in international political and diplomatic circles and was one of the few Unites States politicians known throughout the world for his work, words, wit and presence. The Almanac of American Politics defined Moynihan as “the best thinker among politicians since Jefferson and the best politician among thinkers since Lincoln”. Many of his statements have become classics, such as “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts” and “I don’t suppose there’s any point in being Irish if you don’t know the world’s going to break your heart eventually”, spoken after the assassination of President Kennedy.

Throughout his distinguished career, Senator Moynihan possessed a unique ability to predict and identify issues and provide practical solutions. His tenacity and determination changed laws and opinions on family policy, foreign policy, social security, government secrecy, urban planning, and transportation. He represented the practical, centrist heart of the liberal tradition, and often referred to himself as an “Al Smith Democrat”. Throughout his career Moynihan was singularly faithful to his democratic roots and effective in working with Republican colleagues in academia, the White House and the Senate.

Moynihan was also a tenured professor at Harvard University and wrote 18 books, including the landmark volume on ethnicity in urban America, Beyond the Melting Pot.