“I love to go to Washington—if only to be near my money”
“I love to go to Washington—if only to be near my money” was said by the comedian and actor Bob Hope (1903-2003) in the late 1940s and was popularized in the Reader’s Digest. Hope’s 1940s remark is still remembered; it was used in a 2010 Washington, DC, guidebook and was mentioned in a “Hope for America” 2010 Bob Hope exhibit by the Library of Congress.
Wikipedia: Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS, born Leslie Townes Hope, (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an English-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television, and movies. He was noted for his numerous United Service Organizations (USO) shows entertaining American military personnel—he made 57 tours for the USO between 1942 and 1988. Throughout his long career, he was honored for his humanitarian work. In 1996, the U.S. Congress declared him the “first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces.”
Over a career spanning 60 years (1934 to 1994), Hope appeared in over 70 films and shorts, including a series of “Road” movies co-starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.
Google Books
The Reader’s Digest
Volume 5
1948
Pg. 14:
I love to go to Washington — if only to be near my money (Bob Hope).
21 May 1949, Oelewein (IA) Daily Register, “The School Register,” pg. 3, col. 3:
Bob Hope in the Reader’s Digest: “I love to go to Washington—if just to be near my money.”
10 June 1949, The Delta Democrat-Times (Greenville, MS), “It Happened Last Night” by Earl Wilson, pg. 4, col. 4:
Bob Hope said on his visit to Washington, “I like to come home once or twice a year to be near my money.”
20 October 1950, Winona (MN) Republican-Herald, “The Teen Set: Strangers Appreciate Welcome” by Betty Betz, pg. 6, cols. 4-5:
Bing and Gary Crosby have scored such a hit with “Sam’s Song” that platter shops must rush to keep it in stock. Gary’s already in the upper tax brackets at age 18, and is also gaining a rep as a gagster. He recently told his dad he’d move to Washington, D.C.
“Move to Washington, D.C.?” asked Bing in quite a disturbed manner.
“Yes, Dad. I want to be near my money!” said the youngest taxpayer in the Crosby family.
Google News Archive
5 May 1952, The News And Courier (Charleston, SC), “Morry Says,” pg. 11, col. 5 classified ad:
I am living in Washington now, yes, I like to near my money—it’s a wonderful city.
(Sam Bowman Auto Sales—ed.)
31 July 1960, Chicago (IL) Tribune, pg. B27:
Bob Hope: “It’s a great thrill to be here in Washington. I come here every year to be near my money.”
Google Books
Frommer’s Washington D.C. Day by Day
By Meredith Pratt
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
2010
Pg. 4:
Funnyman Bob Hope once said: “I love to go to Washington— if only to be near my money.”
Library of Congress
May 27, 2010
Library Opens New Exhibition Honoring Bob Hope and Political Satire
“Hope for America: Performers, Politics & Pop Culture” Opens on June 11
Legendary entertainer Bob Hope once quipped, “I love to go to Washington, if only to be near my money.” Hope’s political humor, his relationship with U.S. presidents, and the interplay among the worlds of comedy, politics and civic activism are showcased in the new public exhibition, “Hope for America: Performers, Politics & Pop Culture,” opening at the Library of Congress on Friday, June 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The exhibition will be located in the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St., S.E. in Washington, D.C.