I've mentioned the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee in my post of Dec. 6, 2020, and also the post on 2/12/21.
I was curious to see if I could compile a list of all members of the Committee at the time of the IGY stamp. The Committee, still in existence, was formed in 1957 by Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield to establish standards for selection of commemorative stamp subjects, and then to recommend which stamps would be issued in accordance with such standards. The idea was to pay more attention to the design and aesthetic appeal of stamps and also to reinforce the interests of stamp collectors, who provided a significant revenue stream for the Post Office. My editor asks if posting on this is particularly interesting for readers, and my response was something like, "Maybe not, but it provides more context for the IGY stamp, and that has some significance here."
I might first say, before you lose interest, that back in 2003 I suggested to the Committee that a stamp be issued for the 50th anniversary of the IGY in 2007, but as you can see from the correspondence below, that suggestion was declined.
Let's start with a photo showing the Committee members in 1957. The Committee has since become more diverse, thankfully.
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| Source: The Bureau Specialist, vol. 28, June, 1957, p. 184 |
The biographical notes below for these people are edited from the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame (APSHF). citations unless otherwise noted. I did wonder about the Hall of Fame requirement that "Only deceased persons can be nominated." I think it would be more gratifying to receive whatever recognition you might get while you are still around to appreciate it. Anyway, here is the cast of Committee folks.
Arthur E. Summerfield, Postmaster General (not actually on the Committee):
(1899-1972), was the 57th Postmaster General, a political appointment by President Eisenhower. He presided over a modernization of the Post Office Department, including the creation of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee in an effort to encourage citizen involvement in postal policy.
Franklin R. Bruns, Jr., Director of the Division of Philately in the Office of the Special Assistant to the Postmaster General (ex officio member):
(1912-1979), was widely known for his nationally syndicated stamp column that appeared in some 30 newspapers between 1932 and 1972 (was this the column I read in the Washington Evening Star newspaper as a youth?). He became curator of the Smithsonian Institution's philatelic collection in 1951, and was the first curator of the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum. Member, APSHF.
William H. Buckley, President, New York Art Directors Club:
was one of three appointed members chosen to represent artists and designers, to assure the best possible designed postage stamps. The NY Art Directors Club was founded in 1920 "to ensure that advertising was judged by the same stringent standards as fine art." Buckley co-designed two stamps, for the Overland Mail Centenary (Scott #1120) and the Fort Duquesne Bicentennial (#1123). I tried to find more biographical information on him, but I kept getting directed to William F. Buckley.
Arnold J. Copeland, President, The Westport Artists, Inc.:
was another representatives of the art and design community. As a member of the Westport, CT, arts community, he passed on stamp design commissions to other Westport artists. According to the web site 1847us.com, Copeland was a co-designer of all 19 stamps in the Champion of Liberty issues (1957-1961). These commemorative stamps featured foreign leaders who were presented as champions in the struggle for liberty in their own countries. The Encyclopedia of United States Stamps (2016, p. 202-203) identified this as a series with an "agenda" (quotes in original); all 10 personages represented in the series had stamps with denominations for the airmail rate of 8¢, so that these images of "freedom" could be mailed abroad. Copeland also designed commemoratives for the Mackinac Bridge (Scott #1109), St. Lawrence Seaway (#1131), National Automobile Show (#1162), and the National Automobile Show (#1164).
Robert E. Fellers, Director, Division of Philately, Post Office Department (ex officio member):
(1892-1961) was widely known due to his many visits to stamp exhibits and first-day ceremonies across the country. When Summerfield became Postmaster General in 1953, he declared that the pursuit of the hobby of stamp-collecting had great educational [and commercial] value; a new Division of Philately was established, and Fellers was named its director (obituary, New York Times, 11/7/61). He was the first awardee of an Honorary Life Membership in the American First Day Cover Society.
Sol Glass, President, Bureau Issues Association, Inc.:
(1893-1973) was one of the greatest experts of United States 20th century stamps. His book, United States Postage Stamps 1945-1952 (1954) received national and international awards. Member, APSHF.
H. L. Lindquist, Chairman, National Federation of Stamp Clubs:
(1884-1978) was one of America's most acclaimed philatelic editors. In 1932, he began editing and publishing Stamps, which became the weekly magazine of record during his long ownership. Lindquist founded and was president of the National Federation of Stamp Clubs, comprising 600 national stamp clubs with over 200,000 members. He was guest speaker at more banquets than any other philatelist. Member, APSHF.
Ervine Metzl, President, Society of Illustrators:
(1899-1963) was the third representative of the art and design community. As the designer of the IGY stamp, he will get one or more posts all to himself in the future.
L. Rohe Walter, Special Assistant to the Postmaster General (ex officio member)
(1899-1966) was special assistant to Postmaster General Summerfield. He was the liaison between the Post Office Department's Stamp Advisory Committee and philatelists (obituary, New York Times, 4/24/66).
Abbott Washburn, Deputy Director, United States Information Agency
(1915-2003) was head of public relations for General Mills Inc. in Minneapolis, and then executive vice chairman of Crusade for Freedom, which raised money for Radio Free Europe. He was deputy director of the U.S. Information Agency from 1953-1961, acting as liaison between the broadcast agency and the White House and National Security Council during a peak period of the Cold War. He served on the Citizens' Advisory Committee in this capacity. Later, as a Federal Communications Commission member, he contributed to an opinion about what constituted obscene material for broadcast outlets. This became the basis for the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, which found that the government could punish speech deemed indecent. As a result, the FCC was able to penalize a daytime radio broadcast of comedian George Carlin's "seven dirty words" monologue (Washington Post obituary, 12/19/2003). Learn about that case (if you can tolerate some semi-bleeped obscenities) in this video.
And why, you might ask, was a representative of the USIA on the Citizens' Advisory Committee? The USIA was an agency responsible for American "public diplomacy" (emphasis mine; read public diplomacy as propaganda, maybe?), especially during the Cold War. It was the largest public relations organization in the world, with an annual budget over $1 billion in the years directly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It presided over U.S. government communications to over 150 international populations. So yes, you could say those Liberty Series stamps carried an "agenda" around the world.
On December 15, 1960, Postmaster General Summerfield presented the first Benjamin Franklin Awards to the then12 members of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, including all of the above plus Robert Sivard and C. Robert Payne. The Benjamin Franklin Award is the highest award given by the Postal Service to non-employees.
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