2022 January Memorabilia Auction - Closing Date 02/06/2022
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/6/2022
Patty Aikens' Personal Arnold Palmer 'A Personal Journey' Book with & Umbrella Pin
"Arnold Palmer: A Personal Journey" is a biography written by Thomas Hauser and Arnold Palmer himself. It was released in 1994 and tells the story of America's, and maybe even the World's, favorite golfer, Arnold Palmer. Palmer is sorely missed but the impact he had on the game ensures his memory will live on. This was gifted to his first secretary Patty Aikens and comes with a 'Compliments of Arnold Palmer' umbrella pin.
~Patty Aikens Collection~
Modest. Accomplished. Quick-witted. Three adjectives to describe Patty Aikens, Arnold Palmer's first secretary. The year was 1963 and Arnold was becoming the Elvis of golf - one of the most marketable athletes in all of sport. Patty was Palmer's neighbor and family friend and the easy choice for Arnie to fill the suddenly much-needed role. After all, he saw the same three traits. Patty recounts that she was posed with the unique job opportunity by Arnold Palmer in his own Latrobe, PA driveway. The concrete strip was only a 9-iron away from Patty's residence, as she was there to pick up her mother from Palmer's house after socializing with Arnie's folks. Patty would go on to be Arnold's right hand, spending meaningful time with Winnie, the Palmer family and rubbing shoulders with notables such as General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Patty Aikens went to school at Robert Morris in Pittsburgh and then worked for Arnie from '63 until 1972, when she then went to work for the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Aikens received letters of recommendation from not only Arnold, but the man she worked side-by-side with for many years - Donald 'Doc' Giffin. Not bad references. Patty can still be described by those three adjectives - a big smile on her face when the word "Penzoil" is mentioned to her.
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