Samuel Gompers
A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Centenary of Labour Union Leader, Samuel Gompers :
Issued by United States of America
Issued on Jan 7, 1950
The Historic Stamp :
The 3¢ stamp was issued on the centennial of Samuel Gomper’s birth. It honors the famed labor leader who devoted nearly 60 years to the union movement in America. During that time, he tirelessly promoted workers’ interests and helped them become a powerful force in the nation’s economy. He was one of the principal architects of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as its president for 37 years.
V. S. McCloskey, Jr. designed the stamp, part of the Famous Americans Series. It features a portrait of Gompers in a Colonial style frame, with laurel leaves over the lower left portion.
The Samuel Gompers Stamp was printed in red violet by steel engraving. It was first placed on sale in Washington, D.C.
Type : Stamp, Mint condition
Denomination : 3 cents
Colour : Red Violet
Name : Samuel Gompers
Born on Jan 27, 1850 at London, England
Died on Dec 13, 1924 at San Antonio, Texas, United States
The Subject of the Stamp :
- Samuel Gompers (1850-1924) believed that every wage earner should be a trade union member. He joined the Cigar Makers’ International, a union within the Knights of Labor, at the age of 14 and soon rose to a position of leadership. At his urging, the organization established an investment fund and provided sickness, accident, and unemployment benefits for its members.
- In 1886, Gompers led the Cigar Makers out of the Knights of Labor to form the AFL. As the new national union’s president, he addressed many problems of the workplace and advocated written, binding contracts with management.
- President Wilson appointed Gompers to the Advisory Commission on National Defense during World War I. He also served on other commissions studying unemployment and disarmament.
