DS as president, one page, 8 x 10, Executive Mansion letterhead, December 11, 1899. President McKinley directs the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to “my proclamation concerning the death of Vice President Hobart.” Signed neatly at the conclusion by William McKinley. In fine condition, with toning along the edges. Accompanied by an ink signature of Hobart, “Garret A. Hobart,” on an off-white 3 x 1.5 slip affixed to a slightly larger sheet.
After nearly a full summer spent resting on the Jersey Shore, the ailing Hobart and his wife joined the president and first lady at their cottage on the shores of Lake Champlain in August 1899. Despite his prolonged respite, Hobart’s health continued to decline and the government soon announced that he would not return to public life. He succumbed to heart disease on November 21, 1899, at the age of 55. As Hobart’s death was before the adoption of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967, a vacancy in the office of vice president was not filled until the next ensuing election and inauguration. Theodore Roosevelt assumed this office on March 4, 1901.
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