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Series VI. Correspondence, 1952-2021, inclusive

Extent

2 Linear feet in 2 record cartons

Scope and Contents

Series VI includes letters, cards, and invitations sent to BJK by friends, colleagues, fans, and organizations. The correspondence reflects BJK's wide-ranging influence as a famed athlete, public figure, and advocate for women's equality, as well as her personal friendships and professional activities.

Arrangement

Arranged in two subseries:
Subseries VI.A. Alphabetical correspondence
Subseries VI.B. Subject correspondence

Subseries VI.A. Alphabetical correspondence, 1952-2021, inclusive

Extent

1 Linear feet in 1 record carton

Scope and Contents

Subseries VI.A contains letters, cards, and invitations sent to BJK and organized individually by correspondent's last name. Contents of correspondence includes personal and professional topics. Particularly notable correspondents are identified within their respective folders or placed in a discrete folder when the amount of material justifies it. Regular correspondents of note include Bill and Hillary Clinton, Elton John, and Barack and Michelle Obama. Correspondence dates from 1952-2019.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically followed by a file for unidentified correspondents.

A, 1966-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

B, 1962-2015, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include George H.W. Bush and Warren Buffett.

Billboard Information Group, 1975, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 40, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Includes Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending April 12, 1975 with Elton John's Philadelphia Freedom at number 1.

C (3 folders), 1960-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 11-13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include Sri Chinmoy.

Clinton, Bill and Hillary, 1993-2016, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains two typed letters and handwritten note from William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton and several typed letters from Hillary Rodham Clinton. HRC's letters include personal condolences and official invitations and thanks for BJK's support of her Presidential campaign.

Clinton, President Bill, 2011-2012, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains one letter addressed to BJK and Ilana Kloss and one letter addressed to BJK.

Clinton, Hillary, 2009-2019, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains letters addressed to BJK and BJK and Ilana Kloss from 2009-2019 and 2012 holiday card. Also includes inserted photos from HBO "Dare to Compete" event.

D, 1965-2017, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include former Mayor of New York City David Dinkins.

E, 1990s-2006, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

F, 2007-2019, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include the family of former President Gerald R. Ford.

G, 1959-2014, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Ginsburg, Justice Ruth Bader, 2020, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains outgoing letter from BJK to Justice Ginsburg inviting Justice Ginsburg to receive the WSF's BJK Leadership Award at the 2020 Annual Salute to Women in Sports and letter in response declining the award due to the U.S. judges Code of Conduct.

H, 1959-2018, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 19 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable corespondents include Harvard Business School, photographer June Harrison, and the family of cartoonist Lee Holley.

I, 2007-2011, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence from the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

J, 1963-2018, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 21 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable corespondents include Perry T. Jones, President of the Southern California Tennis Association.

John, Elton, 2011, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 22 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains letter thanking BJK and Ilana Kloss for gift sent to Elton John and David Furnish's son.

K, 1959-2019, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 23 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Larry King from early in BJK's tennis career.

L, 1952-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 24 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include the Long Beach Recreation Commission and Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

Los Cerritos fifth grade students, circa 2019, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

M, 1959-2008, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 25 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

N (2 folders), 1960s-2008, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 26-27 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondens include the New England Institute of Technology and Northeastern University Center for Sport in Society.

O, 1967-2011, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 28 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondence includes letter from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Obama, Barack and Michelle (1 of 2), 2011-2016, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 29 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains personal notes and official correspondence from Barack and Michelle Obama thanking and acknowleding BJK's work on the Obama re-election campaign and as a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition.

Obama, Barack and Michelle (2 of 2), 2011-2010, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains personal correspondence from President Barack and Michelle Obama to BJK and Ilana Kloss, including handwritten note and signed photograph from Michelle Obama sent to BJK after the US Open 2011, White House christmas cards from 2011 and 2014, and 2020 note congratulating BJK on the naming of the Billie Jean King Cup.

P, 1967-2013, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 30 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

R (2 folders), 2004-2018, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 31-32 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Roberts, Rich, 1973, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 40, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence from Rich Roberts of the Independent Press-Telegram with printed headline about the Moffitt family and Bobby Riggs during the Battle of the Sexes reporting.

S (2 folders), 1960s-2018, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 33-34 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Notable correspondents include Maria Shriver and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

T, 1961-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 35 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

U, 1959-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 36 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence from various United States Lawn Tennis Association staff and committee members informing BJK of her selection to the Wightman Cup team, ranking, and USTA Middle States Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.

V, 1967, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 37 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

W, 1966-2019, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 38 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

The White House, 1970-2017, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 39 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence from The White House sent over various administrations, including a congratulatory letter for BJK's victories at Wimbledon from President Richard Nixon, Christmas cards from the Nixons, a note from Michelle Obama's Chief of Staff Tina Chen, and a letter from John DeStefano on behalf of President Trump ending BJK's appointment to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition and thanking her for prior service.

Y, 1960s-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 40 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Z, 2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 41 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Unidentified or unspecified correspondents, circa 1960s-2018, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 24, Folder: 42 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains letters, cards, and telegrams sent to BJK without a specified sender or with the sender's name incomplete or illegible.

Additional correspondence, 2017-2021, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains additional notes, cards, and letters from various correspondents added to the collection after the initial donation. Notable correspondents are Warren Buffett, Venus Williams, and Janet Napolitano.

Subseries VI.B. Subject correspondence, 1962-2020, inclusive

Extent

1 Linear feet in 1 record carton

Scope and Contents

Subseries VI.B includes letters and cards from various correspondents grouped by subject or occassion. These groups were present when acquired and maintained in the processing of the collection.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Wimbledon telegrams, 1962, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 27, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains a file of telegrams sent to BJK while competing at Wimbledon 1962, at which she and Karen Hantze were the women's double champions.

Fan mail and school reports (4 folders), 1973-2018, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 27, Folder: 2-5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains a file of fan mail and notes sent to BJK, including school reports and essays written on and in honor of BJK. Correspondents include various teachers and their students, children from the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis Center, and various fans inspired by BJK.

Postcards from South Africa, circa 2000s, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 27, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains unsent postcards and book of postcards from South Africa.

Holiday cards, 2001-2007, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 27, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains a file of holiday greeting and photo cards from various senders.

Letters of condolence (18 folders), 2006, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 27, Folder: 8-25 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains letters of condolence and sympathy cards to BJK from various senders upon the death of her father, Bill Moffit. Includes printed emails with index of senders.

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center naming (1 of 6 folders), 2006 August-September, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 27, Folder: 26 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains a file of cards and letters sent to BJK in congratulations for the official naming of the "USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center" on the opening night of the 2006 U.S. Open, August 28.

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center naming (5 of 6 folders), 2006 August-September, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 28, Folder: 1-5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Contents

Contains a file of cards and letters sent to BJK in congratulations for the official naming of the "USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center" on the opening night of the 2006 U.S. Open, August 28.

Oversized birthday and thank you cards, circa 2010s, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 59, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Oversized thank you card, circa 2000s-2010s, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 60, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Senator Birch Bayh tribute, 2019-2020, inclusive

Offsite-Box: 64, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024