We Band of Brothers: A Memoir of Robert F. Kennedy
New York: Harper & Row, 1971. 21.5x15cm: 340pp. First Edition, Second Printing. An important association copy, signed and inscribed by Guthman to Charles Z. Smith, with acknowledgement of his role as one of the ‘band of brothers.’ The inscription reads: To Charles Z. Smith / who shared Robert Kennedy’s / confidence and comradeship / and was one of the / “band of brothers” / with the respect and / best wishes of his / friend / Edwin Guthman. Blue cloth boards with publisher’s imprint stamped in gilt to front board. Gilt titling on spine. Yellow endpapers. Small darkened spot on front board with a bit of discoloration along edges. Spine has some ghost lettering which appears to have been offset from the dust jacket. Photo-illustrated dustjacket with two tiny nicks along top edge of front panel and another along bottom edge of rear panel. Minor wear at head of spine. Some spotting to verso of dust jacket. Near Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket.
Edwin Guthman and Charles Z. Smith were part of the titular ‘band of brothers’. This name was used by Robert F. Kennedy to describe the idealistic young men that he was bringing into the Justice Department at that time. Guthman (1919-2008) was a Pulitzer Prize winning Seattle journalist until he was tapped by Attorney General Kennedy to be his press secretary in 1961.
When Charles Z. Smith (1927-2016), an African American man, graduated from the University of Washington School of Law, no law firm would hire him. Eventually, he took on a role as a King County, WA deputy prosecutor and was involved in prosecuting local Teamsters figures. In 1961, Kennedy hired him as a special assistant to the United States Attorney General, and he assisted in Kennedy’s investigation of fraud related to the Central States Teamsters Pension Fund. He also served Kennedy during his run for the U.S. Senate. In 1965, Smith returned to Washington and became the state's first African American judge when he was appointed to the Seattle Municipal Court. The following year, Smith was appointed to the King County Superior Court. In 1988, Smith became the first person of color to serve as Washington State Supreme Court Justice. Smith was a civil rights advocate who worked to increase the number of women and people of color in the legal profession.
Price: $250.00
Item #10204