For broadcast by CBS Radio Network stations
January 24-25, 1998:


Honoring living people on stamps

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.

This past week, Australia continued its Living Legends
series with SIX Olympic athletes, all former gold medal
winners, now in their 60s and 70s and all still involved
in sports somehow.

In the United States, only people who have been dead for 10
years or more are honored on stamps. The major exceptions
are Presidents, whose stamps usually come out on their first
birthdays after their deaths. 

That's because with ten years' perspective, a person may
not seem as important. Just ask 1988 presidential candidate
Michael ...what's-his-name.


Postmaster General Marvin Runyon is resigning the post,
looking for new challenges. The official press release
sings his praises in mail delivery, cost-cutting,
competitiveness, and labor relations...but doesn't say
anything about stamp collecting. Philatelically, I think
he'll be remembered as the Postmaster General who made
stamps a profit center and emphasized pop culture on
stamps over historical subjects.


And that's Stamp Collecting this week.

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 


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