[press release] [Click on the image for a larger version]
The APS Writers Unit #30 is honoring three philatelic authors this year, by inducting them into the WU30 Hall of Fame: Marjory J. Sente, Kevin Lowther, and Douglas A. Kelsey. The formal presentations will be made during the Unit’s annual meeting on August 28, at Great American Stamp Show in Sacramento, Calif., at 11 a.m. The APS Writers Unit #30 is an affiliate of the American Philatelic Society.
The choices were proposed by the Hall of Fame Committee, chaired by Cheryl Ganz and including Trish Kaufmann and Ken Trettin, all members of the Hall of Fame themselves.
Sente has been writing for philatelic publications for nearly half a century. Her articles have appeared not only in all the major stamp collecting periodicals, but also in mainstream publications such as Country Living, The Penn Stater, and DAR Magazine. She also has exhibited on subjects as diverse as the Grand Canyon, Washington Bicentennial and censored first day covers; given talks and seminars; and taught philatelic courses.
“Thank you for your kind words. I was pleasantly surprised, actually stunned,” she said when notified.
Lowther writes on a wide range of subjects, but especially postal history. In the past dozen years, he has published more than 170 articles in several philatelic magazines, including the United States Specialist, the American Stamp Collector & Dealer and Kelleher’s Stamp Collector’s Quarterly. More than a third of them explored the postal history of United States’ involvement in World War I, while his articles on the Washington-Franklins have led to several new listings in the Scott catalogue. He has also published two non-fiction non-philatelic books on history.
Although best known as the administrator of the American First Day Cover Society, Kelsey (1949-2020) wrote several hundred articles, columns, catalogs, and monographs. These showcased his diverse research and collecting interests, from Ohio metered mail to Egyptian definitives. He held offices in many philatelic societies and was honored for his service numerous times. He was also an accredited APS judge and helped bring the AFDCS’ Americover exhibition into the World Series of Philately.
The APS Writers Unit #30 is the organization for philatelic writers, editors, publishers and content producers, helping them exchange ideas. It publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Philatelic Communicator, and maintains the www.wu30.org website. It is APS affiliate number 30, because “-30-“ was how 19th and 20th century writers indicated the end of their articles and other works.
