TLS, signed “steve jobs,” one page, 8.5 x 11, Apple Computer Inc. letterhead, April 8, 1983. Letter to Kevin Kucera, chairman of the Computer Club at the American Graduate School of International Management (AGSIM), in full: “I very much appreciate your inviting me to be the keynote speaker for Computer Day this April. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend due to prior commitments. I wish your club every success!” Includes the original Apple Computer mailing envelope. In fine condition.
‘Stevenotes,’ the iconic keynote speeches of Steve Jobs, were, for many, unmissable events. One man, one stage, conveying complex ideas simply and engagingly. Jobs spoke to a world beyond the tech realm, teaching and inviting all interested parties to see why Apple Computers stood at the forefront of innovation. Perhaps most exciting, Jobs’s speeches also served as unveilings for landmark Apple products like the iPod, iPhone, and Macbook Air. Jobs perfected the art of the sales pitch and, in doing so, captivated the masses and controlled the stock market, convincing both of Apple’s staying power and rightful claim as the tech industry’s one true king.
The first significant (and recorded) keynote speech delivered by Steve Jobs occurred when he introduced the Macintosh to Apple sales teams in Hawaii on October 23, 1983, exactly six months after AGSIM’s scheduled Computer Day. If he had accepted the AGSIM engagement, said speech would have been one of the earliest in Jobs’s prolific oratory career; his earliest known public speech, not recorded for television purposes, was in 1980 when he spoke at the PR agency of Regis McKenna, who was an early advisor to Apple and a mentor to Jobs.
Accompanied by a group of four color photos from Computer Day at AGSIM and two issues of Das Tor [The Gate], the student newspaper for AGSIM, which includes an issue from April 19, 1983, with the front page featuring the banner headline: “Computer Show Set for Saturday, April 23,” and a Computer Show itinerary listing the keynote speaker as Ellen Petry, a worthy substitute who revolutionized Apple’s online presence through the User Group Connection, an initiative she founded at Apple in 1985.
The article reads, in part: “The AGSIM Computer Club is sponsoring a Computer Show in the Thunderbird Activity Center from 9:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M. Keynote Speaker, Ms. Ellen Petry, Communication Specialist from Apple Computers Intercontinental Sales Group is coming from Corporate Headquarters, Cupertino, Ca., courtesy of Computer Club and Speakers Committee. She is one of the distinguished group of speakers giving presentations (see itinerary).
Computer Show Chairman, Kevin Kucera, said: ‘We've had a good response from local dealers. Over 20 area companies will be displaying the latest in personal and business computers. Major manufacturers such as Apple, IBM, Xerox, Toshiba, NEC and Franklin, will be represented.’ The Computer Club was started this spring to promote computer literacy in the student body. It provides hands-on use of microcomputers and business management software.” The Thunderbird School of Global Management, formerly known as the ‘American Graduate School of International Management,’ is a unit of the Arizona State University Enterprise, with programs accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
(inquire for price)
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
