Updating the Face of America
Stamp Out Stamp Bias Adding Women to U.S. Stamps
The images on stamps portray who and what our government thinks is important, serving as a sort of “Who’s Who” of American History.
Since the formation of the United States Postal Service, men have been pictured on postage stamps three times more often than women. The implicit message in this disparity is that women have not made many significant contributions to our nation.
New Stamp of Women! 100 Years of the 19th Ammendment
A new Forever stamp, 19th Amendment: Women Vote, was issued by the U.S. Postal Service. This stamp commemorates the centennial celebration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote.
Honoring Historic Contributions Updating the Face of America
If you want to help Stamp Out Stamp Bias, recommend a woman to be honored with a stamp to the Untied State Postal Service.
Get Involved Updating the Face of America
Recent USPS issues have honored more women but postal issues are a long was from achieving gender parity.
From 2000 to 2009 the United States Postal Service honored 206 individuals on commemorative stamps, 43 were women.
In the last decade, 2010 to 2019, 89 commemorative stamps honoring individuals were issued. Twenty-six of these stamps honored women, a significant improvement over the previous decade, but still only 29% of the stamp issues honoring individuals.
If you want to help Stamp Out Stamp Bias, recommend a women to be honored with a stamp to the Untied State Postal Service.
It’s easy. Just think of a woman who you think should be honored with a stamp. If she doesn’t already have a stamp, submit her name to the USPS. Include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with her achievements.
Submit your proposal in writing by U.S. mail
Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW,
Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260.
| WOMEN | YEAR | NOTABLE FOR |
|---|---|---|
| Isabella I of Castile | 1893 | Her patronage of Christopher Columbus made his trips to the New World possible. |
| Martha Washington | 1902 | First First Lady of the United States. |
| Pocahontas | 1907 | The Powhatan princess who saved the life of Captain John Smith. |
| Molly Pitcher | 1928 | Mary Hayes McCauley earned the name Molly Pitcher by carrying water to the men in the battle of Monmouth in 1778. |
| Susan B. Anthony | 1936, 1955 | Feminist who spent more than 50 years fighting for women's rights. |
| Virginia Dare | 1937 | First European child born on American soil, in 1587. |
| Louisa May Alcott | 1940 | American author famous for her books Little Women and Little Men. |
| Frances Willard | 1940 | Educator, reformer, lecturer, and women's suffrage supporter. |
| Jane Addams | 1940 | Founder of Hull House in Chicago, a social welfare center. |
| Clara Barton | 1948 | Founded the American Red Cross. |
| Juliette Gordon Low | 1948 | Founded the Girl Scouts of the USA. |
| Moina Michael | 1948 | Initiated the Veterans of Foreign Wars fundraising drive, selling red poppies in 1915. |
| Betsy Ross | 1952 | America's most famous flagmaker. |
| Sacagawea | 1954 | Shoshone guide who led the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804. |
| Amelia Earhart | 1963 | First woman to fly solo, nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Eleanor Roosevelt | 1963, 1984, 1998 | American diplomat, writer, social reformer, and First Lady to Franklin D. Roosevelt. |
| Mary Cassatt | 1966, 1988 | American painter best known for her works of mothers and children. |
| Lucy Stone | 1968 | Nineteenth century abolitionist and women's rights leader. |
| Grandma Moses | 1969 | Anna Mary Robertson Moses took up painting at the age of 76. She continued to paint until her death at age 101. |
| Emily Dickinson | 1971 | American poet who wrote more than 1,700 poems. |
| Willa Cather | 1973 | Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. |
| Elizabeth Blackwell | 1973 | First woman physician in the U.S. |
| Sybil Ludington | 1975 | Sixteen-year-old Revolutionary War hero. |
| Clara Maass | 1976 | Twenty-five-year-old U.S. Army nurse who advanced medical science when she volunteered to be bitten by a mosquito carrying yellow fever. |
| Harriet Tubman | 1978 | Leader of the Underground Railroad, which brought slaves to freedom. |
| Emily Bissell | 1980 | Leader in the fight against tuberculosis who introduced Christmas seals in the United States. |
| Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan | 1980 | Famous student who overcame tremendous handicaps and her extraordinary teacher. |
| Dolley Madison | 1980 | First Lady who saved White House treasures during the capture of the capital by the British in 1814. |
| Frances Perkins | 1980 | First woman member of the presidential Cabinet (Secretary of Labor) appointed by F.D. Roosevelt. |
| Edith Wharton | 1980 | Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist known for her novels Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence. |
| Rachel Carson | 1981 | The publication of her book Silent Spring in 1961 touched off a major controversy over the effects of pesticide. |
| Edna St. Vincent Millay | 1981 | American poet whose work was first published when she was just 14 years old. |
| Babe Didrikson Zaharias | 1981 | One of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century. She excelled in track, golf, baseball, and basketball. |
| Mary Walker | 1982 | Devoted herself to the care and treatment of the sick and wounded during the Civil War. |
| Dorothea Dix | 1983 | Nineteenth-century crusader for the poor and mentally handicapped. |
| Pearl S. Buck | 1983 | Author of more than 100 books, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth. |
| Lillian Moller Gilbreth | 1984 | Engineering pioneer who analyzed how tasks are done, hoping to increase the efficiency of workers. |
| Abigail Adams | 1985 | First Lady to John Adams, she influenced American politics through her letters to her husband. |
| Mary McLeod Bethune | 1985 | Educator and social activist who founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, currently known as Bethune-Cookman College. |
| Belva Ann Lockwood | 1986 | First woman candidate for president. |
| Margaret Mitchell | 1986 | Pulitzer Prize-winning author best known for Gone with the Wind. |
| Sojourner Truth | 1986 | Born Isabella Baumfree, she was the first black woman to speak publicly against slavery. |
| Julia Ward Howe | 1987 | Composer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". |
| Mary Lyon | 1987 | Education pioneer who founded Mount Holyoke College. |
| Evelyn Nesbit | 1989 | American chorus girl, artists' model, actress and controversial historical figure. |
| Helene Madison | 1990 | A gold medalist in the 1932 Olympic Games in swimming. |
| Marianne Moore | 1990 | Poet who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1951 for her Collected Poems. |
| Ida B. Wells | 1990 | Civil rights activist who cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. |
| Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman | 1990 | Olympic gold medalist credited with doing more to build American and international women's tennis than any other player. |
| Fanny Brice | 1991 | Singer and comedian who created the "Baby Snooks" radio character. |
| Harriet Quimby | 1991 | First American woman pilot to fly the English Channel. |
| Dorothy Parker | 1992 | Poet and short story writer. |
| Patsy Cline | 1993 | Popular American country singer. |
| Sara Carter Maybelle Carter Carter Family | 1993 | Pioneers of American country music. |
| Grace Kelly | 1993 | American film actress. |
| Dinah Washington | 1993 | "Queen of the Blues". |
| Clara Bow, ZaSu Pitts, Theda Bara | 1994 | Silent film actresses. |
| Nellie Cashman | 1994 | The "Angel of Tombstone", an anti-violence advocate who raised orphans and campaigned against public hanging. |
| Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey, Ethel Merman | 1994 | Famous American singers. |
| Annie Oakley | 1994 | American sharpshooter. |
| Virginia Apgar | 1994 | Doctor who developed a newborn assessment method. |
| Ruth Benedict | 1995 | American anthropologist. |
| Mary Boykin Chesnut, Phoebe Pember | 1995 | Heroic Confederate women. |
| Bessie Coleman | 1995 | First woman to earn an international pilot's license. |
| Alice Hamilton | 1995 | Pioneer in industrial medicine. |
| Marilyn Monroe | 1995 | American film actor. |
| Alice Paul | 1995 | Founder of National Women's Party and author of the Equal Rights Amendment. |
| Jacqueline Cochran | 1996 | Pioneer pilot who had more than 200 aviation records, firsts, and awards. She was the first woman to break the sound barrier. |
| Georgia O'Keeffe | 1996 | Abstract American painter. Her most famous and popular works are of huge flowers. |
| Dorothy Fields | 1997 | Popular songwriter of the 1920s and 1930s. She wrote the words for "On the Sunny Side of the Street". |
| Lily Pons | 1997 | Opera singers. |
| Rosa Ponselle | ||
| Women in the military | 1997 | This stamp honored the nearly 2 million women have served and are serving in the U.S. armed forces. |
| Mary Breckinridge | 1998 | Founder of the Frontier Nursing Service. |
| Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Clara Ward | 1998 | Gospel singers. |
| Margaret Mead | 1998 | Famous anthropologist who studied child rearing, personality, and culture, mainly in the South Pacific. |
| Madam C. J. Walker | 1998 | African American who became one of the wealthiest women in the 1910s by developing and selling hair care products. |
| Ayn Rand | 1999 | Author of the novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. |
| Patricia Roberts Harris | 2000 | Lawyer and political adviser; in 1977 she became the first African American woman named to a presidential cabinet. |
| Louise Nevelson | 2000 | Twentieth-century American sculptor who worked with wood, metals, and found objects. |
| Hattie Wyatt Caraway | 2001 | First woman elected to U.S. Senate. |
| Rose O'Neill | 2001 | American illustrator. |
| Lucille Ball | 2001 | Famed American comedian and actress. |
| Frida Kahlo | 2001 | Influential Mexican artist. |
| Nellie Bly, Marguerite Higgins, Ethel L. Payne, Ida Tarbell | 2002 | Journalists |
| Zora Neale Hurston | 2003 | African American novelist in the Harlem Renaissance |
| Audrey Hepburn | 2003 | Film actress and goodwill ambassador for UNICEF |
| Mary Cassatt | 2003 | American artist known for her portraits of motherhood |
| Agnes de Mille , Martha Graham | 2004 | Choreographers |
| Wilma Rudolph | 2004 | Track and field star |
| Marian Anderson | 2005 | Opera singer who was the first African-American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera |
| Greta Garbo | 2005 | Actress of the silver screen |
| Hattie McDaniel | 2006 | Singer and actress who was the first African-American to win an Oscar |
| Frances E. Willis | 2006 | Diplomat |
| Judy Garland | 2006 | Actress and singer, star of The Wizard of Oz |
| Ella Fitzgerald | 2007 | Jazz singer |
| Gerty Cori | 2008 | Biochemist |
| Maria Goeppert Mayer | 2008 | Nuclear physicist |
| Bette Davis | 2008 | Actress |
| Martha Gellhorn | 2008 | Journalist who covered the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War |
| Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings | 2008 | Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Yearling |
| Mary Church Terrell | 2009 | Civil rights and women's rights activist |
| Mary White Ovington | 2009 | Civil rights activist |
| Daisy Bates | 2009 | Civil rights activist |
| Fannie Lou Hamer | 2009 | Civil rights activist |
| Ella Baker | 2009 | Civil rights activist |
| Ruby Hurley | 2009 | Civil rights activist |
| Mary Lasker | 2009 | Health activist and philanthropist |
| Anna J. Cooper | 2009 | African-American scholar |
| Lucille Ball | 2009 | Actress |
| Vivian Vance | 2009 | Actress |
| Dinah Shore | 2009 | Entertainer |
| Fran Allison | 2009 | Actress |
| Gracie Allen | 2009 | Entertainer |
| Harriet Nelson | 2009 | Actress |
| Katharine Hepburn | 2010 | Entertainer |
| Kate Smith | 2010 | Singer |
| Mother Teresa | 2010 | Religious figure |
| Julia de Burgos | 2010 | Poet |
| Carmen Miranda | 2011 | Latin music legend |
| Selena | 2011 | Latin music legend |
| Celia Cruz | 2011 | Latin music legend |
| Oveta Culp Hobby | 2011 | First secretary of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, first commanding officer of the Women's Army Corps |
| Helen Hayes | 2011 | Actor |
| Maria Goeppert Mayer | 2011 | Scientist |
| Greta von Nessen | 2011 | Industrial designer |
| Barbara Jordan | 2011 | American politician and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement |
| Elizabeth Bishop | 2012 | Poet |
| Gwendolyn Brooks | 2012 | Poet |
| Denise Levertov | 2012 | Poet |
| Sylvia Plath | 2012 | Poet |
| Édith Piaf | 2012 | Singer |
| Isadora Duncan | 2012 | Choreographer |
| Katherine Dunham | 2012 | Choreographer |
| Lady Bird Johnson | 2012 | First Lady |
| Rosa Parks | 2013 | Civil rights activist |
| Georgia O'Keeffe | 2013 | Artist |
| Lydia Mendoza | 2013 | Latin music legend |
| Althea Gibson | 2013 | Tennis player |
| Shirley Chisholm | 2014 | Politician - first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress |
| Janis Joplin | 2014 | Singer and songwriter |
| Julia Child | 2014 | Chef, author, television personality |
| Joyce Chen | 2014 | Chef, author, television personality |
| Edna Lewis | 2014 | Chef, author |
| Maya Angelou | 2015 | Poet, author and civil rights activist |
| Flannery O'Connor | 2015 | Writer |
| Ingrid Bergman | 2015 | Actress |
| Sarah Vaughan | 2016 | Singer |
| Shirley Temple | 2016 | Actress, later businesswoman and diplomat |
| Dorothy Height | 2017 | Civil rights and women's rights activist |
| Lena Horne | 2018 | Singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist |
| Sally Ride | 2018 | Astronaut, engineer, physicist |
| Chien-Shiung Wu | 2021 | Nuclear physicist |