Olympic Swimming Champion Donna de Varona appointed to Stamp Selection Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18. POSTMASTER General John E. Potter announced the appointment of Olympic swimming champion Donna de Varona to serve on the distinguished Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), which recommends the subjects to appear on U.S. postage stamps.

"I am pleased to welcome Olympic swimming gold medalist and TV sports commentator, Donna de Varona to the committee," said John E. Potter in making the announcement. "I'm certain the contributions she will make in the coming years will be significant."

"I collected my first stamp on Opening Day during the 1960 Rome Olympics," said de Varona. "Since then some of my dearest friends from the world of athletics have appeared on stamps, such as track legends Jesse Owens and Wilma Rudolph, whose athletic feats went well beyond the field of play and should never be forgotten," de Varona said. "I look forward to working with the members of the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee in helping choose the next group of distinguished individuals from all walks of life."

The Postal Service receives suggestions from about 50,000 people every year, but only 20 to 25 subjects can be commemorated on postage. To narrow down the selection, the Postmaster General's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee — a cross section of individuals who reflect a wide range of educational, artistic, historical and professional expertise — review the suggestions and make recommendations to the Postmaster General for final approval. The Committee recommends subjects with all postal customers in mind, not just stamp collectors. A good mix of subjects, both interesting and educational, is essential.

Donna de Varona, at 13, was a world record holder and the youngest competitor at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Within the next four years, she would win 37 national swimming championships, break 18 world fastest times and world swimming records and take home two Olympic gold medals from the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. At 17, she was voted the most outstanding female athlete in the world by both the Associated Press and United Press International.

Retiring from competitive sports shortly after the Tokyo Games, de Varona continued to break barriers. In 1965, she joined ABC Sports to become one of the first woman network television sports broadcasters. Since then she has covered some 17 Olympics for radio and television. In 1991, she received an Emmy for her coverage of a Special Olympian. .

She has served in advisory positions to five U.S. Presidents since 1966, and has also worked with the Special Olympics since its inception. She was a consultant to the U.S. Senate from 1976 through 1978 and a strong proponent of the 1978 Amateur Sports Act and landmark "Title IX" legislation. The legislation guaranteed no one, based on gender, can be denied participation in any educational program — including sports programs at educational institutions — that receive direct Federal aid.

She was the first president of the Women's Sports Foundation, a charitable educational organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to participation and leadership opportunities for women in sports and fitness. De Varona served on the recent Senate-appointed committee to restructure the U.S. Olympic Committee. Earlier this year de Varona was re-elected as a Select Director of the Board of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. On Oct. 4, 2004, de Varona was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from UCLA in 1986.

The Postal Service encourages individuals with stamp ideas to submit their suggestions in writing to:

Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
1735 North Lynn St Rm 5013
Arlington VA 22209-6432

For additional information on the Committee and the stamp selection process, visit this link: http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use