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Titled: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Practiced Philately With His Secretary in 1940! Get the Hobbies category RSS Feed

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Practiced Philately With His Secretary in 1940!

Article Summary: The evidence is shocking but true. In 1940 one of the most revered US presidents in US history and his Secretary of the Interior Harold J. Ickes actively engaged in philately—often late into the night and behind closed doors. They both admitted to associates they were addicted to the practice. It is also a matter of public record that the two men belonged to a network of almost 4000 other “enthusiasts” in an organization known as the American Philatelic Society, where the practice was actively condoned, even glorified.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Practiced Philately With His Secretary in 1940!

The evidence is shocking but true. In 1940 one of the most revered US presidents in US history and his Secretary of the Interior Harold J. Ickes actively engaged in philately—often late into the night and behind closed doors. They both admitted to associates they were addicted to the practice. It is also a matter of public record that the two men belonged to a network of almost 4000 other “enthusiasts” in an organization known as the American Philatelic Society, where the practice was actively condoned, even glorified.

But before you condemn these men and alert the history establishment you should probably know what the word Philately means. The term was created in 1864 from two Greek words “Philein” meaning “To Love” and “Ateliea” meaning Tax Exemption and the reason it was created was to describe the growing love of stamps and the fun of collecting them.

In truth, every person who has ever admired a beautifully crafted postage stamp can be accused of having philatelist tendencies. Indeed, to have a true love of stamps and study what they represent is to experience an intellectually challenging, rewarding quest. Stamps, like all other currency, are information. They teach history, geography, culture, commerce and art


Why Collect Stamps
For children brought up in this age of instantly available and instantly forgettable electronic imagery, stamps may seem at first a glimpse into an alien universe. For the intellectually curious, however, stamp collecting is both challenging and rewarding. It stimulates reflective thought as it opens doors to history and art. It provably sharpens focus and expands memory. In short it develops skills vital to academic success and critical thinking. Stamps are also a social catalyst. Young collectors form lasting friendships with their contemporaries all over the world, friendships that often last a lifetime.

For adult collectors, stamps are a calming retreat from noise, news and all the enervating forces that make up life stresses. They are a journey into a world at once beautiful and forbidding, fascinating and shocking. A stamp that is graphically powerful may carry the image of a dictator responsible for the murder of millions of innocents. An image of a Roman ruin can evoke ruminations on the poetry of Ovid or the assassination of a Caesar. As a collection grows and the collector becomes increasingly sophisticated, trading stamps can become an enveloping discipline as well as a satisfying diversion. Many collections become major assets and an important part of ones estate. For a philatelist, no vacation is complete without a visit to the local post office where in truth a true assessment of the local culture resides.

For the elderly, philately simply extends life. It helps them keep abreast of current events, past events, and the events that molded their intellectual and political growth. It is a pursuit that fills up lonely hours with many hours of intellectual stimulation. And stamps are an international currency which gives them the chance to correspond with fellow enthusiasts in every corner of the globe.

As FDR and his secretary knew, stamps are beautiful, tiny vignettes which can transport collectors into the world’s largest museum where art, history and culture come alive.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Gaia Bagirian
Inspired by Armand Rousso's "Philately Extends Life" http://armandrousso-blog.com/armand-rousso-ventures/philately-extends-life.html