Each of the authors is well known for his philatelic work over many years.
Richard C. Frajola has been involved professionally in philately since 1968. After working for several auction houses, he ran his own auction house, Richard C. Frajola, Inc., from 1980 until 1995. These auctions were well known for important collections of postal history. Since then he has been a consultant to several private clients and auction houses. He has published extensively since 1979, the most recent work being The United States Post Offices in China and Japan 1867-1874.
George Jay Kramer was 8 years old when he discovered philately after an uncle gave him a stamp album. He has built five different collections that have competed in the Champion of Champions exhibits a total of eight times, winning three timesÑin 1986 for Wells Fargo and Company 1852-1895; in 1993 for Across the Continent; and in 2003 for United States Domestic Mail 1776-1869. In addition, he won the Grand Prix at Pacifica in 1997 and theGrand Prix at Australia in 2005. Overall, he has garnered 15 Large Gold and nine Gold international awards.
In addition to the book for which he is awarded the Ashbrook Cup, he has written extensively for Western Express and The Collectors Club of New York. George is a member of many philatelic societies, including the American Philatelic Society, the Collectors Club of New York, and our own Classics Society. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London. He was presented with this Society’s Distinguished Philatelist award in 1999 and signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 2005.
Finally, George is the Chairman of The Philatelic Foundation.
Steven C. Walske’s father, Carl, is a leading collector of worldwide forgeries. Carl introduced his son to the hobby in 1964 (when Steve was 12 years old). They were living in France at the time and consequently Steve’s major interests are in French and U.S. philately. He is an enthusiastic exhibitor, having won the Grand Prix International at Luxembourg in 1998 and the Grand Prix National at Paris in 1999, being the first non-Frenchman ever to win this award. Both were for his exhibit of Franco-Prussian War Siege Mail. His U.S. Civil War Exhibit was nominated for the Grand Prix National at Washington this year. Steve’s principal research and writing are about the Franco-Prussian War and Civil War through-the-lines mail.
Steve is a trustee of the Philatelic Foundation, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, a member of the AIEP and a corresponding member of the Academie de Philatelie. He belongs to many other philatelic organizations, including our own Classics Society.
The book The Pony Express: A Postal History is a brilliant summation of everything presently known about the transcontinental Pony Express. This includes a summary of prior transcontinental mail routes; detailed maps of the express route, including complete listings of each of the stations along it; histories of the four rate periods; a record of each trip (both east and west); a detailed census including photographs of all 251 presently known covers that were carried by the Express; a history of the Wells Fargo Pony Express stamps; and documents, newspaper announcements and other artifacts relating to the express.
Dick is one of the unusual breed who came from a “philatelic” family. His father, mother, aunt and brother were all U.S. collectors. Dick got his start as a collector at 10 years of age. A nearby dealer, Bill Fox, became his philatelic mentor, introducing him to the complexities of the 3¢ 1851 issue. Countering his objections to spending part of a meager stamp budget for anything other than stamps, Fox said, “Skip a stamp and buy a reference book. It will repay itself many times over.” Good advice for us all.
Dick’s later friendship with Keiji Tiara led him to re-examine some of the work of previous students, with emphasis on HOW engraved plates were made, HOW varieties occurred and HOW stamps were perforated. This is the basis of three of the major articles that appear in the Classic Society’s The 1851 Issue of United states Stamps: a Sesquicentennial Retrospective, which bear his name as author or co-author. The one on the creation of Plate One of the 1¢ is the subject of this award. It describes the struggle of Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. as that firm attempted to fit 200 stamp positions on a plate that would not accommodate that number because of the size of the die, exacerbated by wide spacing on one of the transfer rolls. Dick’s persuasive argument is that multiple transfer rolls and plates were created before a final solution (now called Plate One Early) was arrived at, but that the solution itself created many plate varieties which have delighted and vexed collectors for more than 150 years.
The elegant reasoning exhibited in this article is why Dick is known as the most accomplished plater in America today.
It should hardly be necessary to recite Wilson’s philatelic background to this audience, but for the record I will summarize it. He has been a collector since childhood and over time has become one of the most gifted postal historians in this country.
He is a graduate of the Naval academy and after retirement from active duty with the Navy engaged in a long and successful career in the food industry, culminating in his position as Vice President of Operations for Nabisco International.
As far as we are concerned, it was only after completion of these two distinguished careers that he truly found his calling. After Nabisco was acquired by Kraft the causes of philately and postal history were blessed by having Wilson appointed Chief Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum. In that position he has pursued three principal goals: (1) To provide access to philatelic materials that have previously been inaccessible to the public; (2) To build relationships with the philatelic community; (3) To shape the Museum’s philatelic materials into a world-class collection worthy of the title the Nation’s postage stamp collection. In his four years in this position, he has had spectacular success in achieving those goals.
Wilson’s forte as a philatelic researcher and historian is to find original source material that will shed new light on stamp production or related events that are important to philatelists. These efforts have led to major works on the Chicago perforations, the first day covers of the 3¢ 1851 issue, earliest known uses of the 1851-1857 era, and plating Baltimore postmarks from 1851 to 1861. He is currently working on the official documents relating to the production of U.S. postage stamps, an original study of the worldwide adoption of stamp perforations, an analysis of the shades of the 3¢ 1851-1857 Issue, the New Haven Postmaster Provisionals and their reprints, and the detection of fraudulent carrier stamp covers.
He belongs to many philatelic societies, including the Classics Society, the APS, APRL, the Collectors Club of New York and the U.S. Stamp Society. He is a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London. He has won virtually every award offered by this Society. And I suppose it should be mentioned in passing that he is also the President of this august body.
The work for which he is being honored tonight was published in The 1851 Issue of United States Stamps: A Sesquicentennial Retrospective. This work traces the history of private efforts to mechanically separate stamps from their imperforate sheets by means of rouletting prior to the adoption of official perforations by the Post Office Department. Described and illustrated are privately rouletted stamps from six towns where confirming copies are known, as well as other towns where only one example of each is known. In addition to a review of original documents that touch on these matters, Wilson has listed all prior publications that mention them and illustrates the types of hand held instruments that might have produced them.
Dwayne founded the USPCS exhibition photocopy program in 1988, and operated it through its first two formative years. He has been the Treasurer and a Director of the USPCS since 1990. In the latter roles he has been a key contributor on the Finance Committee formed in recent years, and the primary implementor of the strategy and plans developed in that Committee. In no small measure Dwayne has had a hand in achieving of late the much-improved financial underpinning of the Society, as well as providing for clear communication of same via a set of key financial indicators.
Recently, Dwayne wrote articles for The Chronicle of the U. S. Classic Postal Issues on the Anglo-Prussian Convention, and Part-Paid Prussian Closed Mail. He has also contributed an article for the book The 1851 Issue: A Sesquicentennial Retrospective on transatlantic mail.
Dwayne collects mail to and from the United States before the U.P.U. / G.P.U., as well as United States and German stamps and covers. Most recently, he won gold medals for his foreign mail exhibits at Texpex 2006 (Grand Award), Pacific Explorer 2005, March Party 2004, Texpex 2002 (Grand Award), and Belgica 2001. He has been an A.P.S accredited judge since 1991.
Dwayne’s full spectrum of philatelic interests and activities portray a breadth that rivals his obvious depth. He is a past president of the Crescent City Stamp Club of New Orleans, and is presently a Director and Chairman of the Special Events Committee of that Club. He is a member of numerous other philatelic societies, including United States Stamp Society, the Germany Philatelic Society, the Confederate Stamp Alliance, the Collectors Club of New York, the Texas Postal History Society, the Texas Philatelic Association, the Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, the Postal History Society, and the United States Philatelic Congress.
Mr. Littauer is a lawyer practicing in his hometown of New Orleans, specializing in employee benefits law.
With heartfelt “thanks”, the Society delights in saluting our most deserving colleague Dwayne O. Littauer!
Wilbur F. Amonette and W. Wilson Hulme II, “Color Study of the 3c Stamp of the United States 1851-57 Issue: An Update.” May 2005 (Chronicle 206).
Richard B. Graham, “The McAdams Mechanical Stamper Markings,” February 2005 (Chronicle 205).
It is our pleasure to welcome the 2006 Distinguished Philatelist, Gordon C. Morison of Potomac, Maryland.
Mr. Morison has been a stamp collector since he was 16. In 1968, when chairing the American Philatelic Society convention in Rochester, N.Y., Mr. Morison conceived the idea of the Champion of Champions World Series of Philately, a competition which is now in its 39th year.
He subsequently entered the U.S. Postal Service, where he served from 1971 to 1992, the last 14 years of which were as Assistant Postmaster General. He was initially hired to develop and direct the philatelic program. During his entire Postal Service career, regardless of his other duties, he remained responsible for the U.S. stamp program.
He had a major impact on design, production and promotion of U.S. stamps during his years at the Postal Service. He reduced the former 100% reliance on the government’s own stamp printer, thus enabling the establishment of a private sector stamp printing industry. Private companies now manufacture almost all U.S. stamps, resulting in considerable postal savings. As part of this effort, he initiated self-sticking stamps, which today account for most U.S. stamps sold. He spearheaded postal acceptance of credit cards and funded the Postal Service’s first paid media advertising (it was for philately). He oversaw the marketing of Express Mail Priority Mail and ZIP + 4 presort work-sharing programs with major mailers.
Among his major achievements was the introduction of the American Music Series, which was inaugurated with the highly successful Elvis Presley stamp. He also developed joint stamp issues with other countries.
Following his postal career, Mr. Morison served the American Philatelic Society as a director and subsequently vice-president, for a total of 8 years.
He was a major participant and moving force in the organization committee of Olymphilex 1986, held in conjunction with the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. In 2001, he brought the annual exhibition of the Nordic countries to Arizona, in a highly successful collocation of Nordia 1991 and Aripex ’91. Most currently, he serves as CEO of the Washington 2006 International Philatelic Exhibition, a 10-year assignment which is culminating with stellar results.
Still a collector, Mr. Morison specializes in Icelandic postal stationery. In 2003, his exhibit won the NORDIA Grand Prix Nationale at Reykjavik.
The U.S. Philatelic Classics Society hereby recognizes Mr. Gordon C. Morison’s exceptional contributions to the organization and promotion of philatelic exhibitions, and his sustained and far-reaching philatelic service within the U.S. Postal Service and as member and officer of the American Philatelic Society, by designating him a Distinguished Philatelist.
