FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 21, 2001

Stamp Release No. 01-043

UNITED STATES AND MEXICO HONOR ARTIST WITH POSTAGE STAMP
Postal Service Continues Its Celebration of Fine Arts With Frida Kahlo Stamp

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Frida Kahlo, the world-renown Mexican artist best known for her striking self-portraits, will be honored by the U.S. Postal Service next month with the issuance of the Frida Kahlo commemorative stamp on June 21 in Phoenix, Ariz. This is the first Hispanic woman to be honored with a U.S. postage stamp. The Mexican Postal Service will issue a similar Frida Kahlo stamp on the same day.


The U.S. ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. (MST) at Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central Avenue. The 34-cent Frida Kahlo stamp will be available at Phoenix post offices starting June 21. It will be available at post offices across the country beginning the following day.


“The Postal Service has a proud tradition of honoring those special people who have had a significant influence on American history, art and culture,” said Benjamin P. Ocasio, Vice President, Diversity Development, for the Postal Service, who will be the dedicating official for the event.



“The Frida Kahlo stamp allows us to reach out across communities to let everyone know that this organization has a commitment to diversity that involves both our customers and our employees. Our stamp program is a wonderful reflection of this commitment,” he said.


Joining Ocasio will be Charles Davis, District Manager, Postal Service; James K. Ballinger, Director of the Phoenix Art Museum and Skip Rimsza, Mayor of Phoenix.


Phoenix Art Museum is currently featuring the exhibit “Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Twentieth-Century Mexican Art: The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection” at the museum’s Steele Gallery until June 24. The Gelman Collection is widely regarded as the world’s most significant private holding of 20th century Mexican art, and contains the painting featured on the stamp, Frida Kahlo’s “Self-Portrait with Necklace.”


“Phoenix Art Museum is proud to have been chosen to host this prestigious event and provide an opportunity for people to see the original painting featured on the stamp,” said James K. Ballinger, director of Phoenix Art Museum.


Kahlo was born in Coyoacan, Mexico, on July 6, 1907. Stricken by polio in early childhood and seriously injured in a streetcar accident at the age of 18, Kahlo endured severe pain throughout her life. The artist’s physical suffering, her inability to bear children, and her tumultuous marriage to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera are reflected in much of her work.


While the subject of Kahlo’s art was primarily autobiographical, her style was influenced by 19th century art and Mexican folk art traditions. During her lifetime she exhibited her paintings in New York City, Paris and Mexico City.


After her death in 1954, Kahlo’s audience grew. Her work has significantly influenced Chicana artists in the United States, and since the mid-1970s she has been a role model for women in the Mexican-American and feminist communities.


The stamp art features an oil-on-metal self-portrait painted in 1933 and signed Frieda Kahlo. Until the late 1930s, she spelled her name with an “e”, in the German manner—although it is spelled Frida on her birth certificate.


Designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Ariz., the pane includes 20 stamps of one design, a selvage photo and the quotation: “I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.” The color photograph of Kahlo on the selvage is a carbro print made by renowned portrait photographer Nickolas Muray. Muray did not date his photographs, but this one was probably taken in the late 1930s.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 10, 2001

Stamp Release No. 01-042

Nation's Veterans to be Honored with New Postage Stamp Issued on National Mall in Washington DC

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced plans for a new commemorative stamp saluting the nation's veterans, to be dedicated May 23 at a first day of issue ceremony on the National Mall.


The Honoring Veterans stamp first day of issue ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. (ET), near the intersection of 4th Street N.W. and Jefferson Drive. It is free and open to the public.


This national first day of issue ceremony will kick off local stamp dedication events at many postal facilities across the country. The 34-cent self-adhesive stamp will be available at all post offices starting May 23.


"The Honoring Veterans stamp pays tribute to the patriotic dedication of all the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces," said John F. Walsh, presidentially appointed member of the Postal Service Board of Governors, who will be the dedicating official for the event.


"The stamp will also serve as a 'thank you' to those veterans who continue to serve as members of veterans service organizations," he said.


Scheduled to join Walsh at the ceremony are Sens. Max Cleland (D-GA) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME) and Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI).


Many veterans continue to serve their country, their fellow veterans and their communities by becoming members of veterans service organizations. These organizations provide aid to veterans and their families, including assistance with benefit applications, transportation to Veterans Affairs medical facilities and burial and memorial services. Local communities also benefit from the work of veterans service organizations, through scholarship programs, youth sports activities and other programs designed to promote civic pride.


The present population of U.S. veterans is estimated to be nearly 25 million.


Designed by Carl Herrman, of Carlsbad, Calif., the stamp features a photograph of the United States flag. One of the most recognized symbols of freedom in the world, the U.S. flag also symbolizes the patriotic service to the nation – in peace and war-of all U.S. veterans. The phrase "Honoring Veterans" appears at the top of the stamp, and the phrase "Continuing to Serve" appears at the bottom.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2001

Stamp Release No. 01-041

Postal Service to Honor Acadia National Park With New International Rate Postage Stamp

WASHINGTON — In its continuing efforts to showcase America's scenic national landmarks with overseas recipients of mail, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a new international rate postage stamp honoring Acadia National Park on May 30 in Bar Harbor, Maine.


The 60-cent Acadia National Park stamp is intended for letters weighing up to and including one ounce and being mailed to Canada or Mexico. The stamp will be available at Bar Harbor post offices starting May 30, and it will be available at post offices across the country beginning the following day.


The Acadia National Park stamp will be the fourth international rate philatelic item issued this year. The Mount McKinley stamp, Nine-Mile Prairie stamp and Badlands stamped postal card were issued April 17, March 6 and Feb. 22, respectively. They are all part of the Scenic American Landmarks series.


The series began in 1999 with the Niagara Falls stamp, the Mount Rainier stamped postal card, the Voyageurs National Park aerogramme and the Rio Grande stamp. A stamp featuring the Grand Canyon was issued on Jan. 20, 2000.


Acadia National Park in Maine encompasses more than 45,000 acres across several islands, including Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula. As the first national park created east of the Mississippi River, it was first established as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916 and then as Lafayette National Park by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. It received its current name in 1929.


With mountains, rocky shorelines, lakes and forests, the park draws more than
3 million visitors a year. Forty-five miles of rustic carriage roads—a legacy of John D. Rockefeller Jr.—provide bicyclists, horse riders, runners and hikers freedom from automobile traffic. More than 273 species of birds have been identified in the Mount Desert Island area. Each year park naturalists anticipate the return of peregrine falcons, which nest in the cliffs overlooking Frenchman Bay and Jordan Pond.


Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Md., the stamp features a color photograph by Carr Clifton of Taylorsville, Calif.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 19, 2001

Stamp Release No. 01-035

WILDLIFE ON THE PRAIRIE FEATURED ON NEW POSTAGE STAMPS
University of Nebraska at Lincoln Hosts Ceremony

WASHINGTON — Ten new postage stamps depicting the beauty and complexity of North America's wide-open spaces were dedicated today by the U.S. Postal Service at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), kicking off three days of grassland celebrations and educational activities.


The Great Plains Prairie pane of 10 self-adhesive stamps is available at Lincoln post offices today and at post offices across the country tomorrow.


"The Great Plains Prairie commemorative stamps will grace thousands of cards and letters crossing America in the mail. These miniature portraits of the American prairie represent an environment that is as rich and as diverse as our American heritage," said DeWitt Harris, Postal Service Vice President Great Lakes Area, who dedicated the stamps.


"The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a natural location for the first day of issue of these prairie stamps," said Dr. Martin A. Massengale, President Emeritus of the University of Nebraska. "The University has a long history of devoted scholarship to the prairie ecosystem, including its native grasslands, art and people, and the state's history is richly entwined with early mail service, including the Pony Express and the great westward movement of wagon trains across the Nebraska prairie."


The ceremony featured Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns and John D. Dawson, of Hilo, Hawaii, who illustrated the stamps. Dawson's artwork includes 25 animal and plant species native to the mixed-grass prairie of the American Great Plains.


Joining employees of the Postal Service for the first day of issue ceremony were representatives from UNL, the UNL State Museum, the Center for Great Plains Studies, the Center for Grassland Studies, the National Wildlife Federation, the Lincoln Stamp Club, the Nebraska Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy-Nebraska, the Nebraska Wildlife Federation, The Nebraska Consortium for a Regional Humanities Center, the Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains, and the Prairie Plains Resource Institute.


"The Great Plains Prairie stamps celebrate the exceptional beauty of our nation's grasslands and the array of wildlife that depend on this American natural treasure," said Mark Van Putten, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "This stamp gives all Americans the opportunity to discover the wonder of grasslands plants and animals and the critical need to conserve them."


The Great Plains Prairie is the third stamp pane in an educational series titled "Nature of America." The series promotes appreciation of North America's major plant and animal communities. Printed in a souvenir sheet format, the stamps are camouflaged in a colorful scene full of wildlife and native plants. Stamps previously issued as part of the Nature of America series include the Sonoran Desert (1999) and the Pacific Coast Rain Forest (2000).


The Great Plains Prairie stretches from the edge of the eastern woodlands and oak savannas to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The prairie's complexity and significance as an ecosystem is often overlooked, but this important part of the American landscape is one of the largest grasslands in the world.


The fertile soils of the American prairie have supported farmers and ranchers for more than a century. The cultivation of crops and grazing of cattle have altered the prairie, but patches of native vegetation remain.


Dawson's artwork illustrates both the immense scale of the ecosystem and the individual environments of many important species. While the scene is imaginary, all species represented are appropriate and were recommended by scientists. A description of the prairie and a list of the common and Latin names of the plants and animals included in the art appear on the back of the stamp pane.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2001

Postal Service Honors Mount McKinley With New International Rate Postage Stamp

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — In its continuing efforts to showcase America's scenic national landmarks with overseas recipients of mail, the U.S. Postal Service today issued a new international rate postage stamp honoring Mount McKinley.


The 80-cent Mount McKinley stamp is available today at all Fairbanks post offices, and, starting tomorrow, will be available at post offices across the country. The stamp is intended for letters weighing up to and including one ounce and being mailed to all countries other than Canada and Mexico.


"The Mount McKinley stamp serves as a reminder of the awesome beauty and wonder we can enjoy by visiting our national parks," said Postmaster General William J. Henderson, who dedicated the stamp along with Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK).


"Alaskans are proud of our great mountain," said Stevens. "The release of this stamp ensures that recipients of foreign bound U.S. mail can share in Alaska's natural beauty and are encouraged to visit our land."


The Mount McKinley stamp is the third international rate philatelic item issued this year. The Badlands stamped postal card and Nine-Mile Prairie stamp were issued Feb. 22 and March 6, respectively. They are all part of a series honoring scenic American landmarks that began in 1999 with the Niagara Falls stamp, the Mount Rainier stamped postal card, the Voyageurs National Park aerogramme and the Rio Grande stamp. A stamp featuring the Grand Canyon was issued on Jan. 20, 2000.


Mount McKinley is located in Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve. At 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. The original park was established on Feb. 26, 1917, as a wilderness area called Mount McKinley National Park. It was incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980.


Designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Md., the stamp features a color photograph of Mount McKinley taken by world renowned National Geographic Society photojournalists John Eastcott and Yva Momatiuk. Text on the stamp reads "Mount McKinley, Alaska."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 16, 2001

Stamp Release No. 01-034

Comic Strip 'Peanuts' to be Immortalized by U.S. Postal Service
'World War I Flying Ace' pictured on postage stamp representing genius of Charles M. Schulz

WASHINGTON — Known as Joe Cool, World War I Flying Ace, Literary Ace, Flashbeagle, Vulture, Foreign Legionnaire and "that round-headed kid's dog," Snoopy symbolizes the simple yet effective way Charles M. Schulz expressed the anxieties and joys of childhood in the PEANUTS comic strip. Next month, the United States Postal Service will honor the comic strip and its creator with the issuance of the PEANUTS commemorative postage stamp.


The first day of issue ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. (PT) on May 17 at Snoopy's Home Ice (the Redwood Empire Ice Arena), 1665 W. Steele Ln., Santa Rosa, Calif. The stamp will be available at the ceremony and at Santa Rosa post offices on May 17, and available nationwide starting May 18. The event is free and open to the public, and attendees are invited to enjoy a free skate after the ceremony until 2:00 p.m.


Snoopy is central to the comic strip and extremely popular for his imaginative adventures from atop his doghouse. An ensemble cast of children, however, makes the strip complete. Among them are the lovable Charlie Brown, who never gives up despite unending failure; the philosophical, blanket-carrying Linus; the fussbudget Lucy, who dispenses psychological advice for a nickel from behind a concession stand; and toy-piano virtuoso Schroeder.


Charles M. Schulz began his fascination with comic strips early, reading the Sunday comics from four different newspapers with his father each week. With encouragement from his parents, Schulz enrolled in a correspondence course in cartooning. PEANUTS debuted in syndication on Oct. 2, 1950. On Feb. 12, 2000, only hours before his last original PEANUTS strip appeared in Sunday papers, Schulz died of complications from colon cancer in Santa Rosa.


Illustrated by Schulz, and designed by Paige Braddock under the art direction of Carl Herrman of Carlsbad, Calif., the PEANUTS stamp depicts Snoopy in his role as the World War I Flying Ace. The name of the comic strip, PEANUTS, appears in the upper left-hand corner of the stamp.


PEANUTS is licensed and syndicated by United Media (UM) — a worldwide licensing and syndication company that focuses on building brand equity around a wide range of creative content.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 16, 2001

Stamp Release No. 01-028

Postal Service to Issue Stamped Postal Card Honoring the University of Portland's 100th Anniversary

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the University of Portland with the issuance of a stamped postal card May 1, 2001, in Portland, Ore., as part of the Historic Preservation series.


The 54th postal stamped card in the Postal Service's Historic Preservation series, the University of Portland stamped postal card will be dedicated on Portland's Campus, Waldschmidt Hall, at 11:00 a.m. at a first day of issue ceremony. The ceremony is free and open to the public.


The 20-cent stamped postal card will be available that day at the ceremony and at Portland post offices. Starting the following day, the stamped postal card will be available at other Oregon post offices and at Postal Stores and Philatelic Centers across the country.


"The Postal Service is proud to participate in the University of Portland's centennial celebration," said Robert J. Sheehan, Associate Vice President, Southeast Sales Region, and a 1970 graduate of the University, who will be the dedicating official for the event.


"The University of Portland is proud and honored to be celebrated nationally by the U.S. Postal Service as we open our centennial year as Oregon's Catholic University," said University President, Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C. "Since 1901 we have been devoted to superb teaching, a vigorous faith life, and service to others — the central tenets of our mission. Our long and colorful history is a key element of Oregon's story, and to have our signature historic hall brought to the national stage is a wonderful honor and pleasure for the University."


Also scheduled to participate in the ceremony are Dallas Keck, U.S. Postal Service District Manager, Portland District and James Covert, emeritus Professor of History, University of Portland.


Founded by Archbishop Alexander Christie, Columbia University—as it was known then—held its first classes on September 5, 1901. The university was renamed University of Portland in 1935.


The University of Portland is an independently governed Catholic university. Today more than 2,900 students are enrolled in its one graduate and five undergraduate schools. Located just a few miles north of downtown Portland, Oregon, the campus is situated approximately 150 feet above the Willamette River and is commonly referred to as "The Bluff."


Waldschmidt Hall—the oldest building on campus—was constructed in the early 1890s, before the university's inception. Considered the university's signature building, Waldschmidt Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1977. It was known as West Hall until 1992, when it was renamed in honor of the university's 15th president, Bishop Paul E. Waldschmidt.


The computer-generated illustration of Waldschmidt Hall featured on the stamped card was by John Pirman of New York. This is Pirman first project for the U.S. Postal Service. Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Ariz. was the art director.