Announced November 1, 2021:

The 17th stamp in the Distinguished Americans series honors Katharine Graham (1917-–2001), the first female head of a Fortune 500 company and a pivotal figure during turbulent moments in American history. The stamp features an oil portrait of Graham, based on a photograph taken in the 1970s, during the peak of her influence as owner and president of The Washington Post Co., where she was also publisher of its flagship newspaper. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp with original art by Lynn Staley.

Additional information will be posted below the line, with the newest at the top.

Updated August 1^st:
The Scott catalogue number for this issue is 5699. It had a face value of 78¢ when issued, but it is now 80¢.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Distinguished Americans Series Honors Washington Post Publisher

WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service honors Katharine Graham (1917–2001) as the first female head of a Fortune 500 company and a pivotal figure during turbulent moments in U.S. history with the 17th stamp in the Distinguished Americans series.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Katharine Graham 2-ounce mail stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #KatharineGrahamStamp.

WHO: Donald Moak, governor, U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors

WHEN: Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at 6 p.m. ET

WHERE: Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20540

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at:usps.com/katharinegraham

BACKGROUND: Born in 1917, Katharine Meyer was 16 when her father, Eugene, purchased The Washington Post at a bankruptcy auction in 1933. At the time, the paper was the least successful of the city’s five daily newspapers. She grew up in Washington. After graduating from college and working at a newspaper in San Francisco, she returned to Washington in 1938. She then met a young law clerk named Philip Graham and they married in 1940.

After being groomed to run the company, her husband died unexpectedly in 1963. Katharine Graham went on to learn the business from every angle and lead The Washington Post to the forefront of some of journalism’s biggest moments. These included the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 as well as the paper’s tenacious investigative reporting on the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in 1972, which led to President Richard M. Nixon’s resignation in 1974.

An author herself, Graham’s candid memoir, “Personal History,” won a Pulitzer Prize in 1997. She died in 2001 and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.

Updated May 5^th from the Postal Bulletin:

On June 14, 2022, in Washington, DC, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Katharine Graham stamp (priced at the Non-denominated, 2-ounce Mail Rate). This stamp will go on sale nationwide, June 14, 2022, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue.

The 17th stamp in the Distinguished Americans series honors pioneering publisher and business leader Katharine Graham (1917–2001). The stamp features an oil portrait of Graham based on a photo taken in the 1970s, during the peak of her influence as owner and president of the Washington Post Company where she also served as publisher of its flagship newspaper. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp. Lynn Staley was the artist.

No automatic distribution for Item 122200, Pane of 20 Stamps

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. Each cover must have sufficient postage to meet First-Class Mail® requirements. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at store.usps.com/store/home. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Katharine Graham Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by October 14, 2022.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Katharine Graham Stamp
Item Number: 122200
Denomination & Type of Issue: 2-ounce Rate, Non-denominated, Mail Use
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: Distinguished Americans
Issue Date & City: June 14, 2022, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Lynn Staley, New York, NY
Modeler: Sandra Lane / Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 10,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Pantone 7619
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.05 in./ 19.558 x 26.67 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.114 x 30.226 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.55 x 5.76 in./140.97 x 146.304 mm
Plate Size: 160 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by five (5) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: “DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS, Number 17 in a Series” • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2021 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (122200) • Plate position diagram (8) • Promotional text

Updated May 5^th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.78″ x 1.54″ The pictorial postmark measures 2.43″ x 1.20″ This “special” postmark is not for use on the first-day, but may be used by local post offices after that date. It measures 2.58″ x 0.94″

Updated April 14^th:
According to the Quarter 2 issue of the USPS Philatelic catalogue, this two-ounce-rate (78¢) stamp will be issued Tuesday, June 14th, with Washington, DC, as the first-day city.