EMMITSBURG, MD — Strains of Beethoven’s 5th, one of the most recognizable symphonies of all time, will usher in a new 27-cent stamped U.S. postal card that pays tribute to Mount St. Mary’s University, the second-oldest Catholic university in America.

Why Beethoven’s 5th? Like Maryland’s Mount St. Mary’s University, the symphony is 200 years old this year.

The Postal Service is commemorating the school’s bicentennial by issuing the stamped card depicting an original watercolor painting of the picturesque campus in the Catoctin Mountains. The stamped card will be dedicated by Postmaster General John E. Potter and Mount St. Mary’s President Thomas H. Powell tomorrow, Saturday, April 26 at 8 p.m. ET. USPS Engineering Vice President Walter O'Tormey will serve as master of ceremonies.

After the stamped card is unveiled, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra will present an all-Beethoven program, concluding with the famous symphony.

“It’s very fitting that this musical masterpiece is part of the dedication,” said Potter. “The painting on the postal card is a symphony of color and a tribute to Mount St. Mary’s tradition of excellence. As an organization with its own history of more than two centuries, the Postal Service is pleased to dedicate this stamped card and share in the prestigious bicentennial celebration.”

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra will be led by Music Director and Conductor Elizabeth Schulze. The program also includes Pianist John Wickelgren and the Mount St. Mary’s Bicentennial Chorale with Guest Conductor Andrew B. Rosenfeld, Mount St. Mary’s Professor of Music.

“Mount St. Mary’s University is honored that the U.S. Postal Service recognizes our historic significance and the contributions that the university has made to higher education,” said Powell. “We’re so pleased to have this wonderful stamped postal card to mark the occasion of our bicentennial.”

The stamped card is 58th in the Postal Service’s Historic Preservation series, which was launched in 1977. It shows three of Mount St. Mary’s oldest buildings, DuBois, Bruté and McCaffrey Halls, collectively called “the Terrace” and known as a central attraction on campus. Built during the 19th century, the buildings are now used primarily as residence halls.

The stamp artwork was created by award-winning architectural illustrator Frank M. Costantino of Winthrop, MA. Costantino used historic photographs and drawings to render his colorful and serene view of the campus. An architectural illustrator for more than 30 years, Costantino created four previous Historic Preservation cards, including University of Notre Dame in 1991 and College of the Holy Cross in 1993. The Mount St. Mary’s card was designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, AZ.

Philatelic Fact Sheet

The stamped card will go on sale April 26 only in Emmitsburg, MD, at the first-day-of-issue site, Mount St. Mary’s University, and at the Emmitsburg Post Office, 305 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD, 21727-9998; and through USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) in Kansas City, MO (see address below). It will go on sale nationwide May 12, 2008, and can be pre-ordered through The Postal Store at: http://www.usps.com/shop.

There is one philatelic product available for this stamp issue:  # 202361* First-Day Cover at $0.39, until May 11, 2008. After May 11, 2008, stamp issue # 282361 * First Day Cover will be available at $0.40.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the stamped card at local Post Offices or The Postal Store, http://www.usps.com/shop. They should address the stamped cards (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Mount St. Mary’s University Stamped Card
Postmaster
305 S Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the stamped cards through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by June 25, 2008.

How to Order First-Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO  64121-9014

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