When Ann Looper Pryor ’83, vice president of Alumni Affairs, was asked to share ways to support the College of Charleston’s upcoming 250th anniversary in 2020, a commemorative stamp immediately came to mind.
“As a child I collected stamps and have always been fascinated by them,” says Pryor. “Earlier in my career I worked for the American Society of Landscape Architects and for its 100th anniversary, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp honoring Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of the profession. I remembered the beauty and impact of the ASLA stamp and decided to do what I could to make it happen for the College.”
Pryor collaborated with Mark Berry, chief marketing officer at the College – and, in January 2017, former President Glenn F. McConnell ’69 submitted an application to the U.S. Postal Service for a commemorative postage stamp. In October 2018, interim President Stephen C. Osborne ’73 sent the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) a detailed marketing plan for the proposed stamp, along with some design options.
“It would be a remarkable accomplishment for the College of Charleston to be awarded a commemorative stamp,” says Osborne. “As the 13th oldest university in the country, we hold a unique spot in the higher education landscape and in the history of this country. For nearly 250 years, the College has been an institution that graduates world-class minds whose many contributions to various aspects of society have helped shape the fabric of this country. Having the College of Charleston on a United States postal stamp pays tribute to all those incredible people and properly celebrates our university’s impact in America.”
Given that around 50,000 commemorative stamp proposals are submitted each year, the College of Charleston needs as much support as possible to receive approval. Already, Charleston County Council and Charleston City Council have issued resolutions in support of the stamp and Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg along with the South Carolina Congressional Delegation have sent letters of support. Still, more help is needed. Friends and members of the CofC community can support the effort by sending a letter to CSAC in support of a College of Charleston 250th commemorative stamp. Please visit the Alumni Affairs sitefor more details on how to send a letter.
