| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | February 16, 2012 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Quantity | 50,000,000 |
| Denomination |
First-Class Mail Forever Commemorative
|
| Denomination Value | $0.45 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 1.56 x 1.225 in./39.62 x 27.15 mm |
| Issue Location | Memphis, TN 38101 |
| Postal Administration | United States |
On February 16, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee, the Postal Service™ will issue a Danny Thomas commemorative stamp (Forever® priced at 45 cents), in one design in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp will go on sale nationwide February 16, 2012.
As the star of the popular sitcom Make Room for Daddy, Danny Thomas (1912–1991) was the consummate entertainer — but behind all the anecdotes and jokes was a serious humanitarian. In 1962, in gratitude for prayers answered, Thomas opened St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where children receive treatment for catastrophic diseases regardless of race, religion, or a family’s ability to pay. “No child,” Thomas insisted, “should die in the dawn of life.”
The Danny Thomas stamp features an oil-on-panel painting showing a smiling, tuxedo-clad Thomas in the foreground and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the background.
Make Room for Daddy, which aired from 1953 through 1964, earned Thomas an Emmy for Best Actor Starring in a Regular Series, and he later produced such television hits as The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and The Mod Squad — but Thomas saw St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as his ultimate legacy. Since its founding, St. Jude has helped dramatically increase childhood cancer survival rates across America and around the world.
Tim O’Brien created the artwork for the Danny Thomas stamp, which was designed by Greg Breeding. William J. Glicker served as art director.
The Danny Thomas stamp is being issued in panes of 20 self-adhesive Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.