Jones, Mazepa, & Sundman 2010 Luff Honorees

A.D. (“Don”) Jones Distinguished Philatelic Research

Dr. James P. Mazepa Exceptional Contributions to Philately

Donald J. Sundman Outstanding Service to the American Philatelic Society

The Luff Awards are the most prestigious awards given by the American Philatelic Society. Established in 1940 in honor of prominent American philatelist John N. Luff, APS President from 1907 to 1909, the awards are presented each year at APS StampShow for meritorious contributions by living philatelists.

Don Jones, James Mazepa, and Donald Sundman have been chosen to receive the 2010 John L. Luff Awards. The recipients will be honored at the 2010 StampShow Awards Banquet on Saturday, August 14 in Richmond, Virginia.

A.D. ("Don") Jones of Portsmouth, Virginia has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research. Don Jones has contributed articles to a variety of journals, including the Air Post Journal, Linn’s Stamp News, The American Philatelist, Stamp Collector, Stamps Magazine, the Virginia Philatelic Forum, The Philatelic Exhibitor, and Eur-Apex. His research on early U.S. air mail resulted in the discovery of many significant items that were added to the listings in the American Air Mail Catalogue. He identified many new items, including two crash covers, added to Volume One of the sixth edition, as well as an explanation of the "Train Late" receiving mark in Chicago (1918) and the method of identifying specific pilots that flew particular covers into Chicago (1918).

Don’s original research has entailed extensive travel over the early air mail routes, gathering details from local contemporary records. He has already prepared new items for the next edition of the AAMC, including several new discoveries of which there are only one or two known examples. Another new find is the only bisect known on a pioneer cover. His personal research identified a censored May 15, 1918 cover from a Philadelphia stamp dealer to his counterpart in London that provides the only candid report of the discovery of the "inverted Jenny." He identified the only December 1918 registered cover that proves the earliest possible use/flight with the 6-cent 1918 air mail stamp.

Don Jones has written two books and is working on a third. His Aerial Mail Service (1993) explains the development of the pathfinder air mail route between New York and Chicago. The book Max, I didn’t get to know him very well (2004) highlights the life of the first United States civilian air mail pilot and his key role in establishing a viable air mail service that progressed from wood-and-cloth aircraft to all-metal aircraft with increased range and payload. He is completing another book on United States air mail through 1924.

He has played many key roles in organized philately, including vice president, president, director at large, publications committee chair, nominations committee chair, and convention liaison for the American Air Mail Society; the board of vice presidents of the APS; FIP representative for aerophilately; vice president, president, and director at large of the Virginia Philatelic Federation; chairman of Vapex; director of volunteers for Washington 2006; and member of the research committee of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists, among others.

His peers have recognized Don’s research contributions and accomplishments in aerophilately by bestowing on him the Walter J. Conrath Memorial Award, election to the Aerophilatelic Hall of Fame, many golds and grand awards at WSP shows, and international vermeils and golds with special prizes in international competition. He served as a national and FIP judge. Something that is perhaps little known to many collectors, is that Don’s personal research work developed a relationship that resulted in one of the largest donations for the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte.

In view of his relentless study, discovery, and leadership in his chosen field, Don Jones was selected for the 2010 Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research.

Dr. James P. Mazepa of Sarasota, Florida has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Luff Award for Exceptional Contributions to Philately.

Dr. James P. Mazepa is widely recognized in the United States and abroad for his devotion to furthering Latin American and Polish philately. In addition to writing articles and exhibiting material pertaining to Central America and Poland, he has distinguished himself in leadership positions of specialty societies and the Federacion Interamericana de Filatelia (FIAF), the continental federation for countries in the western hemisphere.

His service to FIAF began as the APS representative to that organization, following which he moved to vice president and is now president of the Federation, the first United States philatelist to hold this position. He was co-chairman of Americas 99 in Orlando, the first exhibition in the United States devoted solely to the philately of the Americas. For the Washington 2006 international exhibition he was the FIAF coordinator and also a member of the jury. As president of Sescal/Americas 2008 he managed the 600-frame exhibition that marked the first FIAF continental exhibition and FIAF Congress ever held in the United States.

Jim Mazepa has long been active in the Mexico-Elmhurst Philatelic Society International (MEPSI), where he was board chairman for many years. He was a member of the organizing committee for Ameripex 86 and served many years on the board of the Collectors Club of Chicago as well as the club’s publications committee and its speakers committee. He currently coordinates the jury for Chicagopex. He expertizes for the American Philatelic Society, and in the past has done so for MEPSI and the Polonus Philatelic Society. His broad interests include Poland philately, and he has been secretary and is now Chairman of the Board of the Polonus Philatelic Society. He is currently on the council of the American Philatelic Congress.

Jim has received more than thirty gold medals and eight grand awards at WSP competitions and won the APS Champion of Champions in 2000. Internationally, he is recipient of eleven gold and large gold medals and three special prizes in FIP competition. He won the Grand Prix Americas at Espamer 98. He is an accredited APS chief judge and FIP judge and has served on twelve international juries, both FIP and others, and has been the United States commissioner to ten international shows.

Jim’s dedicated service to the hobby has been recognized with the Saul Newbury Award of the Chicago Philatelic Society; his honorary memberships in the Polonus Philatelic Society and the Asociacion Filatelica de Guatemala; his being the recipient of the silver medal of the Enteros Postales Espanoles (Spain) for his promotion of postal stationery collecting within FIAF; and his election to the Real Academia Hispanica de Filatelia (Royal Hispanic Academy of Philately, Madrid) — only the third American philatelist to be so honored. Also, he is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London.

In view of his many years of service to organized philately and the promotion of Latin American and Polish philately, James Mazepa was selected for the 2010 Luff Award for Exceptional Contributions to Philately.

Donald J. Sundman of Camden, New York has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the American Philatelic Society. Donald Sundman, president of Mystic Stamp Company, is a second-generation stamp dealer. He is a successful entrepreneurial business man, growing his business in an environment that has been shrinking. Most important is his recognition that in order to grow the hobby for the benefit of all participants it needs strong institutions like the American Philatelic Society and other organizations his support has helped provide the care and feeding necessary to keep the hobby attractive to collectors.

Since 1985 Don has been responsible for sponsoring several thousand new APS members through free distribution of APS promotional materials, complimentary space advertising, and direct referrals. He is the top recruiter for new APS members. Typically he sponsors more than 200 new members every year. In 2000 he was responsible for 8 percent of the total number of new APS members obtained during the year.

For many years Sundman and his firm, Mystic Stamp Company, have loaned their famous 1-cent Z grill for promotional display at APS StampShow and also to World Stamp Expo in Anaheim, California. In addition, he has borne the costs of producing the information brochures distributed about the exhibit. This gem of philately is a treasure that served as a publicity device, attracting many visitors.

When the APS introduced its Internet Sales program, now known as StampStore, the APS turned to Don to assist the Society in promotion of its new undertaking. Don placed many significant items, including a candlestick invert, for sale on the site, without recognition. When the APS embarked on its program of creating album pages that can be downloaded for free, Don stepped forward again with a grant that enabled the design and posting of the highly popular pages with their variety of topical subjects.

Don has given freely of his time and advice. He has shared his thoughts on advertising with APS staff on several occasions. He has visited the sales operation and allowed APS personnel to visit his mail sales operation. He has been very helpful to the Society through sharing his expertise. As the Society has begun to experiment with direct mail to recruit new members, Don has been generous with his advice, reviewing proposed mailings, suggesting changes, and advising on mailing list selection. More specifically, Don did the layout, design, and paid for APS advertisements in Linn’s Stamp News and the back covers of selected Scott catalogues.

Don Sundman recently formed the "Shaping the Future of Philately" commission, which is working on several initiatives to promote philately and increase the number of collectors. The APS, along with other organizations like the National Postal Museum, the ASDA and the USPS, was invited to take part in this broad-based effort to attract new collectors to the hobby. Through the benefit of his leadership, hobby and business leaders are working cooperatively to establish common goals and to design and implement programs to achieve them.

When the American Philatelic Center project began to progress, a donor was needed who could step forward with a large contribution to provide momentum for the project and set an example for other donors. Once again Don showed his leadership. His generous pledge kicked off the successful campaign to renovate the educational and exhibition complex. Don’s assistance helped the Society at a critical time. His support is reflected in the naming of the Maynard Sundman Hall.

Don has served as a member of the National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. In 2004 he was elected by his peers to chair this Council. During his leadership, Don restructured the Council into highly effective work groups that have supported the National Postal Museum’s mission and strategic plan in the areas of museum exhibits, outreach, promotion, and research.

Hobby leaders who do not normally participate in the "stamp show culture" are sometimes overlooked for honors. This is the case with Donald Sundman, an extraordinary hobby leader, dealer, and advocate of stamp collecting. He received the APS Century Award in 1988, is a trustee of the Philatelic Foundation, and has chaired the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Council of Philatelists since 2004.

In recognition of his support of the APS and the hobby as a whole, Donald Sundman was selected for the 2010 Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the American Philatelic Society.

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