1960 U.S. House of Rep. Joseph W Barr Filed for Re-Election to Congress Letter

Description

Letter Head and Signature of JOSEPH W. BARR
CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - WASHINGTON, D.C.
JOSEPH W. BARR - 11TH DISTRICT, INDIANA
The letter was written to Frank M. Cruger - Indiana Manufactures supply company - Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, Indiana
Dated: February 23rd, 1960
Joseph w. Barr filed as a
candidate
for Re-
election
to Congress of the U.S.
Please see pictures for contents of the letter.
Joseph Walker Barr
(January 17, 1918 – February 23, 1996)
was an American businessman and politician. He served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury from December 21, 1968 until January 20, 1969, in President Lyndon B. Johnson's cabinet.
Barr was born in
Bicknell, Indiana
, on January 17, 1918, the son of Oscar Lynn Barr and Stella Florence Walker. He graduated from
DePauw University
, and married the former Beth Ann Williston in
Indianapolis
on September 3, 1939; they had five children: Bonnie Barr Gilliom, Cherry Ann Barr, Joseph Williston Barr, Elizabeth Eugenia Barr LoSasso and Lynn Hamilton Barr Fineberg. He was a member of the
Phi Kappa Psi
fraternity and earned a
master's degree
in
economics
from
Harvard University
in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
, in 1941.
He served in the
United States Navy
from 1942 to 1945, during
World War II
, with
subchaser
duty in the
Mediterranean Sea
and
Atlantic Ocean
. He received a
Bronze Star
for sinking a
submarine
off
Anzio Beach
.
After Barr returned from the war, he engaged in the operation of
grain elevators
,
theaters
,
real estate
and
publishing
businesses. He was elected as a
Democrat
to the
86th United States Congress
from the 11th district of Indiana (1959–1961). He lost the 1960 election and was appointed assistant for congressional relations to the
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
, and then in 1963 was appointed Chairman of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
.
Treasury Department
Barr served as the
Undersecretary of the Treasury
from 1965 to 1968, during the administration of President
Lyndon B. Johnson
. With the resignation of
Henry H. Fowler
, he became the
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
in 1968. He served the shortest term of any Treasury Secretary, resigning in early 1969.
Later years and death
United States paper money always depicts the signature of the Secretary of the Treasury; because of Barr's short term, collectors speculated notes bearing his signature would be scarce. A common misconception is that currency bearing Barr's name is rare. In reality, 458,880,000 .00 notes were printed bearing his signature (although none in other denominations), but due to the .00's limited lifespan (they are estimated to last an average of 21 months in circulation) it is unknown how many still exist.
Barr was the president and the chairman of
American Security and Trust Company
from 1969 to 1974 and the chairman of
Federal Home Loan Bank
in
Atlanta, Georgia
from 1977 to 1981.
Barr died of a
heart attack
in
Playa del Carmen
,
Mexico
, and was interred in Leeds Episcopal Church Cemetery in
Hume, Virginia
.