Current American Stamp Dealer & Collector editor emeritus and former American Philatelic Society president Randy Neil is one of five people invited this year to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists. The other four are Europeans; Neil lives in suburban Kansas City. Neil is shown on the right speaking at the opening day of World Stamp Expo-2016 New York.

Neil has edited many other American philatelic journals and is the winner of many awards for both his writing and his service to philately. Among the most recent is the Charles J. Peterson Philatelic Literature Life Achievement Award in 2017. He was also the 2000 winner of the American Philatelic Society’s’ John N. Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the society, among the highest awards in U.S. philately.

Here is the March 15th announcement by the Federation of European Philatelic Associations, which is separate from the RDP:
Five new RDPs elected, including four from Europe

The Board of Election of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists has invited five eminent philatelists to sign the Roll. They are:

• Dénes Czirók, RDP, FRPSL (Hungary)
• Dr. Seija-Riitta Laakso, RDP. FRPSL (Finland)
• José Ramón Moreno, RDP, FRPSL (Spain)
• Henrik Mouritsen, RDP, FRPSL (Denmark)
• Randolph Neil, RDP, FRPSL (USA)

We are delighted that they have been awarded this recognition for their great achievements and send our warmest congratulations to them all. As 2021 is the centenary of the first signing of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists [shown at right] in Harrogate, Yorkshire, this year’s signing will also take place in Harrogate in September.

Two other names will also be added to the list of ‘Fathers of Philately’ on the Roll. They are Alfred Moschkau (1848-1912) from Germany and Victor Suppantschitsch (1838-1919) from Austria. This aims to correct a historic injustice that occurred when, in the aftermath of the First World War, no German or Austrian names were included although there were many deserving candidates.

According to a press release from FEPA, “This year’s signing ceremony, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first signatories to the Roll, will take place on Friday 24th September 2021 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Harrogate, U.K. during the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain.”

In naming Randy the 2018 Summer Seminar Distinguished Philatelist, the APS said, “Randy L. Neil’s background in the stamp collecting hobby began when he was 14 years old and became a columnist for the old Weekly Philatelic Gossip magazine. A proponent for progress in the hobby, Randy founded the MIDAPHIL national stamp show and the Collectors Club of Kansas City in 1971 and, with John Hotchner, the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors in 1986. Randy served as the organization’s first president.

“An exhibitor since 1955, Neil has earned more than 65 gold medals and five national grand awards. While president of the American Philatelic Society (1993-97), Randy originated its John K. Tiffany Endowment Fund and brought a youthful group of new leaders and committee chairmen to the then 107-year old organization.”

I am proud to have been on of that “youthful group” elected to the APS Board in 1997. Five directors-at-large and a secretary, all elected for our first terms.

I have often referred to Randy as the “cheerleader for philately,” and it’s more true than you may realized: He started the Kansas City Chiefs’ cheerleading squad, served as CEO of the International Cheerleading Foundation for 30 years, wrote New York Times best-seller The Official Cheerleaders Handbook (1979) (and still available on Amazon) and was executive producer of the National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships on CBS-TV.

I once said “When I grow up, I want to be Randy Neil.” I still do.

— Lloyd A. de Vries

[An earlier version of this article stated the the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists was part of or sponsored by FEPA. They are independent of each other.]