Letter to President Eisenhower Regarding Elvis Presley
ca. 1958
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Linda Kelly, Sherry Bane, and Mickie Mattson wrote to President Dwight D. Eisenhower from Montana. They told him "We think its bad enough to send Elvis Presley in the Army, but if you cut his sideburns off we will just die!"
During the early 1950s, all American men were required to register for the draft, and many were called to serve. Elvis was no exception. Inducted into the Army in 1958, he insisted on being treated like everyone else. He took the required haircut in stride, coining the phrase, “Hair today, gone tomorrow.”
During the early 1950s, all American men were required to register for the draft, and many were called to serve. Elvis was no exception. Inducted into the Army in 1958, he insisted on being treated like everyone else. He took the required haircut in stride, coining the phrase, “Hair today, gone tomorrow.”
Text adapted from "Rock'n'Roll Heroes: Letter to President Eisenhower" in the May 1985 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
Transcript
["O or "0" "child" and "3/14" in blue pencil near upper left corner]Box 755
Noxon, Mont
["File" underlined in black pencil]
Dear President Eisenhower,
My girlfriend's and I are writting all the way from Montana. We think its bad enough to send Elvis Presley [three underlines] in the Army, but if you cut his side burns off we will just die!
You don't no how we fell about him. I really don't see why you have to
send him in the Army at all, but we beg you please please don't give
him a G.I. hair cut, oh please please don't! If you do we will just about die!
Elvis Presley Lovers [two underlines]
Linda Kelly
Sherry Bane
Mickie Mattson
Presley
Presley
is our cry
P-R-E-S-L-E-Y
[inside heart]
E.P.
Lover
This primary source comes from the Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration).
National Archives Identifier: 594359
Full Citation: Letter from Linda Kelly, Sherry Bane, and Mickie Mattson to President Dwight D. Eisenhower Regarding Elvis Presley; ca. 1958; President (2); Alphabetical Files, 1953 - 1961; Collection DDE-WHCF: White House Central Files (Eisenhower Administration); Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, KS. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/elvis-presley-lovers, April 1, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
