Our Chairman, Roger S. Brody, has become the seventh recipient of the prestigious George W. Brett Century of Service Award in recognition of his many contributions to the Society. The Award was presented at the General Membership Meeting held at NAPEX, June 2nd, 2012. The following citation was read at the presentation ceremony:

This award honors Roger S. Brody for his extraordinary dedication to the United States Stamp Society.

Roger S. Brody truly exemplifies all that the George W. Brett Century of Service Award embodies. Through his leadership, research, writing, and exhibiting, Roger has moved the Society forward, enhanced the benefits of membership, and has immeasurably advanced the image and reputation of the Society.

Roger became Chairman of the Second Bureau Issue Committee in 1991 and served in that position until 2003. He was elected to the Board of Governors in 1995 and became Chairman of the Board in 1998, a position in which he continues to serve. Roger’s outstanding service with other philatelic organizations has also helped to grow the prominence of the USSS. He is currently the President of both the Collectors Club and the American Philatelic Research Library and serves as Treasurer of New York 2016, the upcoming International Exhibition.

Roger’s research and writing ability has been widely recognized. He has twice received the Walter W. Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award, the Society’s highest award for research, and has also been the recipient of the American Philatelic Society’s prestigious Luff Award. He is currently the Chairman of the Luff Award Selection Committee. He delivered the 2005 Maynard Sundman Lecture at the National Postal Museum and was a presenter at the 2010 Blount Postal History Symposium also held at the NPM. He is a member of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists and chairs its Research Committee.

Roger has combined his philatelic research and writing skills with his experience in the business world to guide the Society through a decade in which it has successfully published a series of books covering a wide range of U.S. philatelic topics. Included among these is the Encyclopedia of United States Stamps and Stamp Collecting, which sold 8,000 copies and is considered one of the most important philatelic books ever published.

Roger has also excelled in the field of exhibiting, having won national grand awards and international gold medals. He collects and exhibits the stamps and postal history of the Second Bureau Issue, the Great Americans and the Prominent Americans. He has been a consistent exhibitor at the Society’s annual meeting shows and has received the Society’s highest award for exhibiting, the Walter W. Hopkinson Trophy.

The Board of Governors, therefore, recognizes Roger S. Brody, member number 11814, as the recipient of the United States Stamp Society’s George W. Brett Century of Service Award for his extraordinary service to the Society.

United States Stamp Society
George W. Brett Century of Service Award
Roger S. Brody
June 2, 2012

USSS Secretary Joann Lenz has been awarded the USSS George W. Brett Century of Service Award. The Award was presented at the General Membership Meeting held at St. Louis Stamp Expo, February 28, 2009. The text of the citation accompanying the Award reads:

This award honors Joann Lenz for her extraordinary dedication to United States Stamp Society.

Joann Lenz, a collector of United States stamps and postal history, has done ground-breaking research covering a variety of unusual philatelic topics. Prominent among her varied collections is Plate Number Coils. Within two years of joining the Society she chaired the BIA Plate Number Coils committee.

In 1995 Joann was elected to the Board of Governors. She was elected Secretary to the Board and has served the Society in that capacity continuously for thirteen years. In addition to activities with the USSS and the Plate Number Coil Collectors Club, Joann’s service to philately has expanded to the American Philatelic Society when, in 2007, she was elected Director-at-Large.

Joann’s philatelic research is reflected in her exhibits that have been awarded Gold and Grand awards in national competition. Joann is a proponent and researcher of modern philatelic studies and she generously shares her eclectic interests, research and discoveries with fellow collectors via her website.

Joann Lenz’s philatelic research and service brings honor to the Society worthy of special recognition.

The Board of Governors recognizes Joann Lenz for her extraordinary dedication to the USSS as the recipient of the George W. Brett Century of Service Award.

United States Stamp Society
George W. Brett Century of Service Award
Joann Lenz
February 28, 2009

The Board of Governors awarded Wallace Cleland, #6470, the Century of Service award at the 80th Anniversary banquet held at the National Postal Museum, May 30, 2006. The award, recently named in honor of George W. Brett, is given to a member for outstanding service to the Society.

The citation read at the presentation ceremony stated:

This award honors Wallace Cleland for his extraordinary dedication to United States Stamp Society.

Since the earliest day of his membership in 1966, he has been a leader in the research and study of plate numbers and plate markings. For forty years Wallace has been one of the most prolific contributors to The United States Specialist on a wide variety of topics from plate numbers and markings, coil production, production of the Series of 1922 to the Washington Franklin Series Coil Waste Issue. He is notably recognized for original research on revenue stamps and revenue plate markings.

Wallace Cleland served as Chairman of the Plate Number Check List Service for many years, and in 1989 he was elected to the Board of Governors. In 1992, Wallace was elected to the Chairmanship of the Board of Governors and in August of that year also served the Society as its twelfth President through the remainder of that year. He served with distinction as the Society’s Board Chairman though 1997, continuing his contribution to plate number studies.

Wallace Cleland is a two time recipient of the Society’s highest award for research published in The United States Specialist, having garnered the Hopkinson Memorial Literature Award in 1986 and 2002. He was also co-editor of the 2005 edition of the Durland Standard Plate Number Catalog, one of the Society’s most important contributions to philately.

The Board of Governors recognizes member number 6470, Wallace Cleland, as the recipient of the United States Stamp Society’s Century of Service Award.

The Board of Governors awarded George Voltzow the Century of Service award at the 2005 annual meeting at INDYPEX in Indianapolis, IN. George received the Century of Service Award for his 39 years of distinguished service as Treasurer of the Society.

The award was presented at the informal Society Fellowship Dinner on Friday evening. The presentation was to have been made at the General Membership Meeting the following day. However George and his wife, Olive, were forced to cut short their stay and return to Florida due to the approach of hurricane Dennis. The presentation did, however, add a special touch to the dinner.