Please ask Ike to bring Elvis back

The following pleading letter is just one of thousands sent by desperate fans of Elvis Presley to the White House in the late-1950s, in an effort to have the King of Rock 'n' Roll returned to the United States from Germany, where he was posted with the U.S. Army. This particular missive was sent by a couple from Sacramento and was addressed to President Eisenhower's wife, Mamie. Another example of such a request, written by some of Elvis' younger fans, can be found here.

Transcript follows. Image courtesy of the National Archives.

Image: National Archives

Transcript

Sacramento, Calif.
4-10-58

Dear Mamie -

Will you please please be so sweet and kind as to ask Ike to please bring Elvis Presley back to us from the Army. We need him in our entertainment world to make us all laugh. The theatres need him to help fill their many empty seats these days of T.V. (?) Elvis is the leading box office attraction. Also did you know Elvis has been paying $500,000 in income taxes. We feel the huge taxes he has been paying could help our defense effort far more than his stay in the Army. Please ask Ike to bring Elvis back to us soon. We wish Ike would pass a law real soon to exempt all entertainers who pay large sums of income taxes.

Thanking you for being the sweet gracious lady you are and asking God to bless you and Ike in every way every day we are gratefully yours

Mr - Mrs. Lawrence Erickson

5741-62nd St