HOSPITALITY ARCHIVE REPRESENTING A HALF-CENTURY CAREER:

“WHAT DOES ONE SAY TO THE ‘DADDY’ OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR SO MANY DURING THE PAST FIFTY YEARS?”

MURRAY RAPPAPORT Golden Anniversary 1917-1966 [cover title]. Fascinating hospitality archive, including a large album of testimonial letters and related ephemera from the Golden Anniversary Dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1966 honoring Murray Rappaport for his 50 years of service to the hotel industry as a business consultant, accountant, and founding partner at Harris, Kerr, Forster & Company (now part of the global firm PFK). [New York City]: 1966. The archive includes approximately 160 typed testimonial letters, signed, from numerous industry leaders from hotels, food & beverage companies, restaurants, and related industries, plus more than 20 congratulatory telegrams, a couple photographs, the original invitation and menu for the dinner, a corrected draft of Murray Rappaport’s speech, a subsequent printed version of his speech, seating chart, etc. It includes letters from the leaders and senior management figures from some of the best hotels across the country, plus letters from landmark restaurants, a distillery, winery, brewery, various HRTA professional associations, family members, etc. Most are on company letterheads, and signed by various famous names and business leaders, including:

Letters from Sheraton Company (signed by the president, chairman of the board, and co-founder), Hilton Hotels (signed by Conrad Hilton), Inter-Continental Hotels (2 signed letters from the company president), Lowe’s Hotels & Theatres (signed by the Tisch brothers, on separate letterheads), Howard Johnson’s, The Fontainebleau, Miami Colonial Hotel, Carter Hotels, The Mayflower, The Madison, Essex House, Regency Hyatt House, The Shelburne, Skytop Lodge, The Plaza, The Biltmore, The Greenbrier, The Doral, Delmonico’s, Restaurant Associates, Inc., Hilton International, numerous hotel, hospitality, and professional associations, P. Ballantyne & Sons Brewers, Cornell HRTA department, Bethlehem Steele, etc. Also included are the engraved invitation and reply card for the dinner, and a menu for the evening’s fare (featuring a nine-course meal with wine and champagne pairings), plus an issue of the company magazine celebrating their 50th year, etc.

The large, thick, heavy album (measuring 13 x 12 x 3.5 inches) is bound in textured blue cloth, beveled boards, front cover stamped in gilt: “Murray Rappaport Golden Anniversary 1917-1966,” moire silk endpapers. Inside are 116 letters (laid into plastic sleeves on both sides of 58 leaves), plus title leaf. Together with the album are more than 50 additional testimonial letters and 24 telegrams, plus a corrected typescript draft of Mr. Rappaport’s speech given that evening (plus a subsequent printed version), seating list, etc. Also present is a calligraphic certificate on vellum commemorating the evening, and a photograph of Mr. Rappaport being presented with said certificate (mounted opposite). Both are housed in a polished tan calf portfolio (11.5 x 9.5 inches), with gilt rules, and moire silk endpapers . One of the many memorable letters begins, “My dear ‘Rapp’: What does one say to the ‘Daddy’ of the hotel industry who has done so much for so many during the past fifty years…” (signed by Henry L. Kimelman, businessman, diplomat, and political advisor). At the dinner that night, one speaker proposed, “A toast to Murray Rappaport. You helped the hotel business through the First World War, through the building boom of the ‘20s, a depression in the ‘30s, another war in the ‘40s, a transition to motels in the ‘50s and then a dubious prosperity, sometimes laughingly referred to as The Great Society of the ‘60s. You saved fortunes for countless hotel operators. Man, you’ve earned a celebration”-- Mr. Mowry, an Ohio hotel-motel Executive Vice President, as quoted in the ‘World Journal Tribune,’ 9/29/66, p. 43. (original newspaper article included in the archive). A letter from the VP and Managing Director of The Mayflower reminisces, “...It hasn’t been easy I’m sure… The bleak years between 1929 and 1935 not only required a lot of hard work but also required keen foresight as to what the future might hold… (signed by C. J. Mack). The letters, from some of the most distinguished and accomplished figures in these related industries, heap praise upon Mr. Rappaport, who was a pioneering figure in the field, and who served as business mentor and consultant to numerous budding industry leaders.

At the time, Harris, Kerr, Forster & Co. was the biggest and best in its field, having grown to more than fifty partners, over 500 employees, in 15 offices, spanning Puerto Rico to Hawaii. Today it is one of PFK’s more than 220 global partner firms, spread across over 150 countries.

The album is lightly soiled and worn, rear cover stained, varying wear to contents, but letters are generally fresh and clean. The other letters, photos, and associated ephemera are also in very good condition; the company magazine is stained at lower edge.

A remarkable record of a celebratory dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel,  honoring a most distinguished 50-year career working with the hospitality and associated industries, represented by 160 testimonial letters, including letters from some of the titans in their fields.