Letter to Marilyn Monroe from Pat Rooney, SR.

This solicitation letter was sent to Monroe by National Variety Artists requesting her autograph for inclusion in the 1956 Al Jolson Memorial Book, a charitable publication with proceeds supporting retired and financially vulnerable performers from the vaudeville era.

Addressed to Marilyn at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, Monroe responded through Marilyn Monroe Productions. Preserved alongside the letter are a cutout from the memorial book bearing her autograph and a ten dollar check issued by the production company and signed by Milton Greene.

National Variety Artists provided housing, medical care, and financial assistance to performers in need. Monroe had come up through the studio contract system and understood the precariousness of a performing career. That her response was handled through Marilyn Monroe Productions rather than personally is a small but telling detail about how the company functioned in practice during this period.

The three components of this grouping, letter, autograph, and payment, survived together, which is uncommon for correspondence of this kind. Together they document a complete transaction rather than a fragment of one.

Marilyn Monroe and Charitable Causes

Marilyn regularly supported charitable causes, reflecting her quiet generosity and enduring compassion for others, especially children. Throughout her life, she supported causes ranging from medical research to children’s welfare, donated earnings from public appearances, and ultimately directed a portion of her estate to advance psychiatric care. Together, these confirmed acts reveal a deeply empathetic woman whose legacy extends well beyond fame. To read more, click here.