2008 Kehr Award Nominees Sought

Can you name a collector who makes our great hobby appeal to newcomers? Someone who works with beginners — young, old, or both — to make them collectors, too?

These are the people the American Philatelic Society has honored since 1991 with its Ernest A. Kehr (shown here)“Future of Philately” Award.

The Kehr Award recognizes a living philatelist each year who has contributed to the future of the stamp hobby. The candidate’s endeavors must exhibit sustained excellence, lasting value, and demonstrated positive results.

According to the American Philatelic Society, to be considered for the award, activities in one or more of the following categories should have been demonstrated by the nominee for at least five years.

1. Work showing a high level of creativity in making stamp collecting attractive to newcomers.
2. Efforts over several years showing a high degree of dedication in working directly with newcomers and youth.
3. Activity in developing and administering programs that are aimed at recruiting newcomers and fostering their development in the hobby.

The Kehr Award is named for Ernest Anthony Kehr, one of philately’s most distinguished spokesmen. He became hobby news editor of the New York World-Telegram in 1935 and then stamp news editor of the New York Herald Tribune from 1939 until the newspaper closed in 1966.

Kehr distributed tons of philatelic materials to Veterans’ hospitals as head of “Stamps for the Wounded” and, as a newspaperman, probably produced more lineage to support philately than any other person in history. He continued as stamp columnist for Newsday (Long Island, New York) until he died in 1986.

Kehr also wrote several popular books, of which The Romance of Stamp Collecting (1947) was a philatelic bestseller. In 1964, he founded the Philatelic Press Club (later known as the International Philatelic Press Club), and was its chairman emeritus at the time of his death.

To nominate a recipient for the Kehr Award, please include his or her name, accomplishments, and supporting documentation. Send your nomination to the American Philatelic Society, Attn: Kehr Award Committee, 100 Match Factory Place, Bellefonte PA, 16823 by June 13, 2008.

Additional information on the award and the complete list of previous winners is available. For more information, contact Ken Martin, 814-933-3817 or via e-mail.