Susanna Mills will become editor of The American Philatelist, one of the largest stamp collecting publications in the U.S. The AP is the official journal of the largest stamp collecting organization in the U.S., the American Philatelic Society, headquartered in Bellefonte, Pa.

Gary Loew, who became The AP editor just seven months ago, is retiring, after moving across the headquarters building last June. Jeff Stage returns to employment in the APS editorial department.

Here is the APS announcement:

American Philatelic Society Announces Editorial Leadership ChangesThe American Philatelic Society announced the retirement of Editor-in-Chief Gary Wayne Loew effective January 15, 2022. Loew joined the APS in June 2019 as director of expertizing and took over as editor-in-chief in June 2020. As editor, Loew managed the day-to-day operations of the publications of the American Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Research Library.

Beginning in January, Susanna Mills will become editor-in-chief. Susanna joined the APS staff in 2018 with the library. She joined the editorial team in 2019 and most recently served as deputy editor, including editor of the Philatelic Literature Review.

“Under Gary’s leadership, The American Philatelist has reached new heights in the world of philately. From day one, he and Susanna have worked side-by-side to bring the very best to our members every month,” said Scott English, APS Executive Director. “I know that commitment to excellence will continue under Susanna’s leadership and will serve the hobby well for years to come.”

Joining Susanna will be Jeff Stage, returning to the APS as senior editor. Stage served as associate editor from 2015 to 2018. Stage will return to staff in January to begin work on the March 2022 issue of The American Philatelist.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Jeff for a few years. He is an experienced editor and a great philatelic mind. Jeff was an exceptional member of APS staff when he last worked here, and he was the obvious choice to bring back to our team,” added Mills. “With Jeff, we’ll be able to transition seamlessly and stay focused on delivering for our members.”

Loew shared, “It was a difficult decision to retire as a member of the APS staff. But the time is right. I planned that Susanna would one day take over as editor-in-chief, and it’s rewarding to see that come to fruition. She’s been integral to our success over the past 18 months, and she’s ready to take The American Philatelist and the Philatelic Literature Review to the next level.”

The APS editorial department produces The American Philatelist, the monthly journal of the American Philatelic Society, and the Philatelic Literature Review, the quarterly journal of the American Philatelic Research Library. In addition, it manages all book publications of the APS.

John F. Kennedy first day cover expert Henry Scheuer will talk about his quest to obtain as many postmarks for the first JFK stamp as possible, in an American First Day Cover Society online seminar November 14, 2021, at 8:00 pm Eastern time on Zoom. Admission is free and the presentation is open to the public.

The John F. Kennedy memorial stamp of 1964 (Sc. 1246) was one of the most popular U.S. stamps of its era. It went on sale at nearly every post office, and many collectors had the stamp postmarked locally on the day of issue. Scheuer, a financial services professional, has FDCs from the thousands of post offices then in operation, and hopes to add more. His collection includes not only U.S. postmarks, but also covers serviced overseas and sent to overseas addresses.

The Zoom address for “Remembering John F. Kennedy: Sc. 1246 5¢ Commemorative” click here to join the meeting, or the meeting is ID 889 9249 6356 with a passcode of 598920. The program will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.

Membership in the AFDCS is not required to attend the seminar, but, with memberships starting at $24 for Internet-only access or $35 with the printed magazine, it is very affordable and a good asset for any first day cover collector.

Members, such as Scheuer, can place notices in a secure area of the AFDCS.org website, seeking help adding to their collections. Members are in every state, as well as seven countries.

The AFDCS publishes handbooks, catalogues, directories and a bimonthly award-winning journal, First Days. The society also produces some FDCs, advocates for first day cover collecting and exhibiting, and is a co-host of Great American Stamp Show, which next will be held August 25-28, 2022, in Sacramento, Calif.

For more information on the AFDCS, visit its website www.afdcs.org, email afdcs@afdcs.org or write to the society at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

[press release]
Free Holiday Checklist from ATA

The American Topical Association is once again offering a free topical checklist, available to everyone, which can be easily downloaded from the website by clicking on the rotating banner or at americantopical.org/ATA-Holiday-Topical-Checklist. This year’s topic is snowflakes.

The free list has been an ATA tradition for many years. A different holiday-related topic is offered each year. “We invite you to download the list and enjoy collecting beautiful stamps for this timely topic,” said Jennifer Miller, ATA executive director.

[press release]
“Newcomer” Wins AFDCS Writing Award

The American First Day Cover Society’s Philip H. Ward, Jr., Memorial Award for Excellence in First Day Cover Literature published in 2020 was given to Kris McIntosh (right) for her article “The Fight for the Women’s Right to Vote,” which appeared in the October 2020 issue of The American Philatelist. It is her first Ward Award.

Second place went to “Al Fluegel and the Missing ‘68s” by Steven Altman, which was published in the May-June 2020 issue of First Days and the June 2020 edition of The U.S. Specialist. This was also the first time Altman has been cited by the Ward Award committee.

Ken Lawrence won third place with an article in the January 20, 2020, issue of Linn’s Stamp News, “Freda Dickie Weaver, Multi-Talented First Day Cover Cachet Artist.” He previously won the Ward in 1996 and 2019, and shared it with other authors in 1989.

A complete list of past winners can be found on the AFDCS website.

All articles published in First Days, the official journal of the AFDCS, are automatically considered for the Ward Award. Other articles and publications may be submitted for consideration.

Philip Henry Ward, Jr., began servicing first day covers in 1909. Although an electrical engineer by trade, he wrote on new issues for The American Philatelist, Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News and The Weekly Philatelic Gazette in the early 20th century.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

For Immediate Release
AFDCS Recognizes Volunteers With 2021 Awards

The American First Day Cover Society is recognizing more than half a dozen of its members for their service to the organization. At its annual convention, held in conjunction with Great American Stamp Show in August in Rosemont, Ill., Glenn C. Michel Special Recognition Awards were presented to:

• Tom Peluso (posthumously), who often donated his artistic talents: He produced many convention event covers and donated many of his Therome Cachets FDCs to the Society’s auctions through the cachet contest;
• Otto Thamasett, for coordinating the Graebner Chapter portion of the AFDCS Americover Hospitality Suite for over 15 years, including donations to the Hospitality Suite Silent Auction;
• Chris Lazaroff, Tris Fall, and Jim Hogg for serving on the search committee that
  

  Gary Dickinson

  selected the new AFDCS editor and executive secretary, after those posts became vacant because of the coronavirus pandemic;

• Gary Dickinson, for writing a column on Canadian FDCs in First Days for more than 10 years, and compiling a catalogue of Elvis Presley FDCs;
• John White and members of the Claude C. Ries Chapter Auction Committee (co-chaired by Michael Litvak and Dave Bennett), for their work on the highly-successful semi-annual AFDCS auctions.

Michel Awards can be won by the same person more than once and winners are chosen by a committee chaired by James Tatum, Jr. The award is named after “Mike” Michel, the AFDCS general counsel who guided the society through a reorganization in the mid-1980s.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs. It offers awards for outstanding first day cover exhibits and an annual contest for cachetmakers, and is a co-host of the annual Great American Stamp Show.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

[press release]
We are now accepting applications for the 2022 awards presented by the American Philatelic Society and the American Philatelic Research Library.

The nominating process will continue through December 15, 2021 for:

• Luff Award for Meritorious Contributions to Philately
• Nicholas G. Carter Volunteer Recognition Award
• Ernest A. Kehr Award for enduring contributions to guarantee the future of the hobby
• Charles J. Peterson Philatelic Literature Life Achievement Award
• Dealer of the Year Award (deadline March 15, 2022)

Each category has its own application. Those may be mailed to the APS, or sent via email to awards@stamps.org. Please designate list the name of the award on your envelope or in the title of your email.

In addition, APS and APRL committees will meet to nominate candidates for the following awards:

• APS Hall of Fame honoring deceased philatelists who have made outstanding contributions to philately
• USSS Barbara Mueller Award for the best article published in a single year of The American Philatelist
• Thomas Allen Award for the best article published in a single year of The Philatelic Literature Review
• David Straight Award for the best paper presented at the Winton F. Blount Postal History Symposium
• Writers Unit Hall of Fame (APS affiliate award)

All awards are subject to the approval of the Board of Directors for the APS and APRL.

[press release]
AFDCS Bestows Long-Overdue Recognition On Strauss

The American First Day Cover Society has given one of its highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award, to Gerald Strauss, the first editor of its journal, First Days. The award is given for performance far above basic duties, to living current members.

The key to any national stamp collecting organization is a successful journal, and especially so for a new society. Strauss, then a college English professor, produced the first issue of First Days, September-December 1955. It was a four-page mimeographed newsletter, but within a year, had grown to a 16-page professionally-printed magazine.

Unfortunately, his workload at the college became too much, and he resigned. He later dropped out of the AFDCS, but continued his philatelic writing and editing elsewhere, particularly for the Washington Press

First issue of First Days

and its catalogues, newsletters and album pages. Although not a member of the AFDCS, he also served as a proofreader for First Days for most of the past decade. He rejoined in the past year.

While editor of First Days, Strauss recruited two young writers whose names are very familiar today: One was college student Alan Warren, whose “Question Box” column has appeared in all but one of the hundreds of issues since that first one in 1955. Warren also writes for many other publications and on other philatelic subjects.

The other was junior member Randy Neil from the Kansas City area, who went on to become a successful writer, editor and publisher, as well as American Philatelic Society president.

The DSA is voted upon only by past recipients of the award; the committee is currently chaired by Allison Cusick.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. In addition to First Days, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets, as well as exhibiting FDCs.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

Dale E. Smith, immediate past president of the American Topical Association, has been selected for the ATA’s highest award, Distinguished Topical Philatelist. The award is presented each year to an individual who has provided outstanding service to philately, and especially topical philately — collecting stamps by subject.

Smith has served on the ATA board since 2011, becoming first vice president in 2012 and president in 2016. He is also membership secretary of the Gladstone Stamp Club, near Kansas City, and is active in the Midwest Philatelic Society, based in the city itself. He is a member of six ATA-affiliated study units and three ATA-affiliated chapters.

“Herbert Hoover said, ‘It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit,’” said ATA president Dawn Hamman. “That sums up Dale’s incredible contribution to ATA, philately and many other worthy causes in a nutshell. He operates under the radar. He does not seek recognition, and, in fact, gives it to others.”

During Smith’s tenure as ATA president, he invigorated fundraising and was able to secure the organization’s future with financial leadership and by adding to its reserves. He added key leaders to important positions in the group, and was part of the team that organized and implemented the moving of the ATA office from Illinois to South Carolina in 2019.

His wide-ranging interests: stamps on stamps, HIV/AIDS on stamps, pharmacy, winter scenes, Christmas seals, Pony Express and George Washington Carver. In 2002, Dale and his wife Andrea started their topical stamp dealership, Stamp Smith. The main focus of the business has always been topicals.

Smith’s leadership goes beyond philately. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Dale has served as president of its alumni association, and is currently on the dean’s advisory council and the LGBTQ Scholarship Foundation. He has served as president of 15 non-profit organizations over 45 years.

He was presented with the award at the Celebration Banquet of Great American Stamp Show 2021.

[press release]
APS Writers Unit 30 To Invite Online Content Providers

Writers Unit 30, the American Philatelic Society affiliate that has represented stamp collecting writers, editors and publishers for more than 50 years, is now encouraging membership for online content providers: The people who write and edit websites, blogs and social media.

Most philatelic writing these days is on the Web. Often, the same material is published in print, on a website and in social media at the same time.

“Writing is writing, whether it is for print, broadcast or the internet,” said WU30 president Lloyd A. de Vries. “The styles may change, but the purpose is the same: To communicate, inform, and exchange ideas. We think including internet content producers in WU30 will be mutually beneficial.”

The APS Writers Unit publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Philatelic Communicator; supports literature competitions; and maintains a “Hall of Fame” for outstanding stamp collecting writers, both in the past and those active today. In addition, new programs are being planned. WU30 was founded in 1967, and meets annually at APS StampShow’s successor, Great American Stamp Show.

TPC issues often include articles on writing itself, layout, opportunities and news.

“30” is the traditional mark that was placed at the end of newspaper copy to indicate to editors and typesetters that it was finished. Not coincidentally, the Writers Unit is Affiliate #30 of the APS.

Membership is open to all who write, publish or edit in philately, from periodical columns to research books, and now, explicitly, to those who write for digital media. Membership is $15 a year anywhere in the world for .pdf copies of The Philatelic Communicator, delivered via email. Membership with a printed journal is $20.

To join, or for more information, visit the WU30 website at www.wu30.org or write WU30 at PO Box 411571, Saint Louis, MO 63141-3571.