Big name celebrities from the worlds of sports and movies joined forces in the signing of this ONL/Giles baseball (EX), which hosts a total of (10) autographs.
With the inclusion of legendary singer Nat King Cole ("6-7", d.1965), actor Edward G. Robinson ("8", d.1973) and heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis ("7", d.1981), this ball almost certainly was signed at an event related to the 1960 "Special Gala to Support Kennedy Campaign" television special, which featured the three signers named above, along with a host of other prominent celebrities of the day. A tremendous souvenir from a pivotal 20th Century presidential campaign, this ball rates as an important piece of history. JFK is cited as the first president to win an election thanks to his TV presence, and this star-studded event cast him in a very positive light.
Other notables are: actor/pro baseball/basketball player Chuck Connors ("7-8", d.1992), actor/dancer Donald O'Connor ("6", d.2003), actor Danny Thomas ("8", d.1991), actor Ricardo Montalban ("6-7", d.2009), and actor James Garner ("7", d.2014). Also present are: actor/minor league baseball player Michael Dante ("6"), and actor John Bromfield ("8-9", d.2005). Full photo LOA from JSA.
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