Marvin Tate, former president of Vital Signs (Fountain Hills, AZ), has definitely left an everlasting mark on the sign world. In his 43 years as a signmaker, Tate has designed and created more signs than he wishes to remember. But, as he’ll tell you, two of his signs will never be forgotten.
In 1983, Tate created a sign for President Ronald Reagan that could be used at the president’s favorite retreat, Ranch del Cielo. Tate wanted no money for the sign, just the opportunity to meet the president, which he did.
The handcrafted, 24k-gold-lettered sign, which once hung in Reagan’s tack room at the Santa Inez Valley ranch, now sits in a display case in Reagan’s presidential library. “To see my sign in the Reagan Library,” said Tate, “brought tears to my eyes.”
Last year, Tate created another monumental sign, a handcarved, stained and painted, double-faced, 23k goldleaf sign that he donated to President George W. Bush and wife Laura for their Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, TX. Tate believes this sign will, too, be preserved in Bush’s library, once the president completes his term.