Bill Monroe stamp campaign continues

By Jim Peva

In 2006, there will be 14 individuals honored by commemorative postage stamps who died between the years of 1952 and 1995. Under the guidelines of the Postal Service a person must be deceased for at least 10 years to be eligible for the honor. Technically, Bill Monroe would have been eligible, because he passed away on September 9, 1996. I know we are all disappointed that Bill was not selected by the committee, but as I review the successful candidates, I believe he still has a good chance of receiving the honor in the future if we all keep the campaign moving. The successful candidates are:

Hattie McDaniel (actress, 1895-1952); Sugar Ray Robinson (boxer, 1921-89); Katherine Anne Porter (author, 1890-1980); Hiram Bingham IV (diplomat, 1903-88); Francis E. Willis (diplomat, 1899-1983); Robert D. Murphy (diplomat, 1894-1978); Clifton R. Wharton (diplomat, 1899-1990); Charles E. Bohlen (diplomat, 1904-74); Philip C. Habib (diplomat, 1920-92); Judy Garland (singer/actress, 1922-69); Roy Campanella (baseball, 1921-93); Hank Greenberg (baseball, 1911-86); Mickey Mantle (baseball, 1931-95); and Mel Ott (baseball, 1909-58). If one excludes the 6 diplomats and 4 baseball Hall of Famers (categories in which Bill Monroe would not have been eligible in any event), there are only 4 others who received the honor, i.e. Hattie McDaniel, Sugar Ray Robinson, Katherine Anne Porter, and Judy Garland.

The other categories in which stamps were awarded varied from comic superheroes to motorcycles to quilts to wonders of America, etc., etc., categories not including recently living human beings, but all viewed by the Postal Service as 'American icons'. I urge all of you who believe that Bill Monroe is worthy of being recognized by the Postal Service as an 'American icon', to join with me in continuing the effort to get him a commemorative postage stamp. Thank you.

Jim Peva, friend of Bill Monroe since 1961, is the prime mover of the stamp campaign.