Description
Letter from President Jimmy Carter to bank executive and political supporter, Gene Heytow. Dated October 16, 1979, aboard Air Force One. Framed letter, dark mahogany frame, gilt trim, matted with museum glass. Opposite a letter from Chief of Staff, Hamilton Jordan, which has faded significantly. Letter from Carter notes that Chicago mayor, Jane Byrne, will assist in setting up a fundraiser in December. Signed by President Jimmy Carter.
Eugene P. Heytow (1934 – 2010) was a prominent Chicago banking executive, civic leader and political power broker. He was known for being an advocate for organized labor through this bank, the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, which specialized in providing banking services to labor organizers. He was also a heavy investor in Midwestern riverboat casinos, combing his political influence and personal wealth to build gambling operations around Chicago . He was a close friend of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley, Richard M. Daley and politicians across the political spectrum. He was known to keep a low profile in public, often refusing to have his picture taken, but in private he was renown for his sharp tongue and political insights. He died in 2010.
