[POLITICS]. Collection of presidential and political autographs and ephemera associated with West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd (1917-2010) and his long-time associate James B. Huggins (1950- ).

A group of approximately 15 autographs, most inscribed to James B. Huggins, also known as "Jim" or "J.B." Autographs include the following:

Color photograph featuring the official 1981 Presidential portrait of President Ronald Reagan, signed, "To Jim Huggins / Best regards from / Ronald Reagan." -- Black and white photograph signed by Jimmy Carter, "J.B. / To my great friend / Jimmy Carter / 1976." -- Color photograph signed by Senator Edward Kennedy, "To James Huggins - All my best, / Ted Kennedy / 98."

Additional signed autographs to Huggins from Robert C. Byrd, Walter Mondale, Hubert H. Humphrey, Henry Kissinger, Nelson Rockefeller, Al Gore, Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Cyrus Vance, and others, most undated.  

[With:] Photograph, likely of a State of the Union Address given by President John F. Kennedy, n.d., 13 3/8 x 10 1/2 in., photograph mounted to board (mount with soil and discoloration). Pencil inscription on verso "Robert C. Byrd / W. Va." -- Small number of personal photographs featuring Huggins and Byrd, some framed.  

[With:] Print 111/1000 of painting featuring a rural scene and watermill, signed "Robert C. Byrd / 1944," 21 x 11 1/4 in. (sight) matted and framed to approximately 27 x 18 in.  

[Also with:] Senator Robert C. Byrd's four volume Bicentennial Edition on the history of the US Senate, 1994, with Volume I inscribed to Huggins, "To my loyal / friend and supporter / over many happy hears / James B. Huggins / with good wishes and many fond memories / Sincerely / Robert C. Byrd / president Pro Tempore / U.S. Senate / December 1994." -- Byrd, Robert C. "The Senate of the Roman Republic: Addresses on the History of Roman Constitutionalism. " US Government Printing Office: Washington, 1995. Inscribed to Huggins from Byrd. -- Byrd, Robert C. "Losing America: Confronting A Reckless nd Arrogant Presidency." WW. Norton & Co.: New York, 2004. Inscribed to Huggins. -- "Prayers Offered by the Chaplain of the Senate of the United States Rev. Frederick Brown Harris" (1965-1968). -- "Prayers Offered by the Chaplain of the Senate of the United States Rev. Edward L.R. Elson" (1971-1972, 1975-1976, 1977-1978). -- A Pocket Congressional Dictionary, January 1961.

Huggins was a long-time political operative who joined the staff of Senator Robert C. Byrd in 1973. He held multiple positions within the senator's office and was particularly active in Byrd's high-tech project office and in developing overseas business relationships with China. He left Byrd's staff in 1992 to establish a consulting firm and remained politically active until ca 2004. Byrd was the longest serving senator in US history.