UNITED STATES POSTAGE STAMPS

Nurses who collect stamps may or may not be philatelists. On this page are stamps issued by the United States Postal Service honoring individuals who have been identififed as nursing figures.

The two stamps above were issued in 1940 as part of the Famous American Series, which paid tribute to American men and women who distinguished themselves and their country in their creative dedication to the betterment of all mankind. Honorees were chosen through a poll conducted by the National Federation of Stamp Clubs. On the left is poet Walt Whitman who volunteered in Civil War hospitals. On the right is author Louisa May Alcott, who also served as a volunteer during the Civil War.

This 1948 stamp honors Clara Barton, founder and first president of the American Red Cross.

These 1994 United States stamps were part of a Civil War commemorative series. On the left is Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. In the center is Harriet Tubman, a volunteer [Union] Civil War nurse. On the right is Phoebe Pember, a [Confederate] Civil War nurse.

Although both Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth are known for their work with slaves, they both served as volunteers during the Civil War. These stamps were part of the Black Heritage Series.

1961 stamp of a nursing student lighting a candle. The artist did not use an actual nursing student as a model. This image can be found on all types of ephemera.

On the left is a stamp issued in 1998 honoring mental health reformer Dorothea Dix, who served as Superintendent of [Union] Nurses during the Civil War. Above right is a 1998 stamp honoring Mary Breckinridge, nurse midwife and founder of Frontier Nursing Service.

1976 stamp issued on August 18, 1976, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Clara Maas. She has been honored in stamp by both Cuba and the United States.

All of the above stamps are courtesy of Dolores Heinzmann, RN.

For further information:
Forrester, D. A., Grandinetti, P.M. (1991). Nursing. The American Philatelist. 105(6)710-717.