The Luff Awards, first established in 1940, are the Society's highest honors presented to living philatelists for exceptional contributions to research, the advancement of philately, and service to the APS. These distinguished awards were presented during a special ceremony on Thursday on the show floor stage.
On Friday evening, during the Palmares Dinner, the spotlight turned to exhibiting excellence with the presentation of the Champion of Champions Award - the top competitive exhibition honor in the APS World Series of Philately. Below are photos celebrating this year's honorees.
Elizabeth Hisey was awarded the Luff Award for Outstanding Service to the APS. Pictured with APS Past President Cheryl Ganz.
Photo credit: Carlos Vergara
Liz Hisey is a life member of the American Philatelic Society, a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, an APS-accredited chief judge, and the immediate past chairman of the Council on the Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges (CANEJ). She was appointed by the Smithsonian Board of Regents to the Council of Philatelists for the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. In 2013, the APS recognized her as a winner of Carter Volunteer Award for National Promotion/Service.
Larry Lyons was awarded the Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research. Pictured with APS President Mark Banchik.
Photo credit: Carlos Vergara
Larry Lyons has been executive director of the Philatelic Foundation since June 2010. He has served on the PF Board of Directors for 27 years, having also had roles as treasurer and secretary. He is widely known for his extensive and award-winning collections of Carrier and Local stamps, including forgeries, and Western Express covers. He has published multiple works, including a three volume Identifier for Carriers, Locals, Fakes, Forgeries and Bogus Posts of The United States and The 2007 Pricing Guide for Unlisted Carriers, Locals, Fakes, Forgeries and Bogus Posts of the United States along with over 200 original research articles in various journals and publications.
Our third Luff Awardee, Charles J.G. Verge, for Exceptional Contributions to Philately, was not able to be present, but pictured here.
Charles Verge has an extraordinary record of philatelic achievement. He has signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, received the Collectors Club of New York Liechtenstein Award, and been awarded fellowships of both the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada and the Royal Philatelic Society London. He is an active jury member, exhibitor and prolific author, and is a member ex-officio of the Committee on the Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges (CANEJ).
Vernon R. Morris, Jr., was awarded the World Series of Philately Benjamin and Naomi Wishnietsky Multi-Frame Champion of Champions award for his exhibit "Transition of American Mail from British Colonial to USPO: 1685 to 1799."
Photo credit: Carlos Vergara
Vernon Morris is a semi-retired orthopedic spine surgeon from Philadelphia, currently residing in Florida. He serves as the president of the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, president of the Carriers & Locals Society, and was a recent trustee of the Philatelic Foundation and past president of the Florida Postal History Society. He has been a philatelic exhibitor for over two decades, known for the APS Champion of Champions-awarded “Fighting the Fed in Philadelphia; Carrier, Local Posts, and Independent Mails 1835 to 1867,” and current competitive exhibits “Transition of American Mail from British Colonial to USPO; 1685 to 1799” and “Evolution & Impact of Blood’s Local Post: 1842 to 1862.”
Congratulations to all our outstanding award winners! Thank you for your continued dedication, interest and stewardship in philately and your involvement in the APS.