Aprl Receives $100k Donation

$100,000 Hisey Donation Will Support Exhibit Digitization
1/13/2025

The American Philatelic Research Library is proud to honor the legacy of Robert W. Hisey, an innovative and award-winning exhibitor, with an expansion of the Robert A. Mason Digital Library (RAMDL) philatelic exhibit collection. The project will be funded by a $100,000 donation from Elizabeth Hisey in memory of her late husband.

This generous gift will support the RAMDL's mission to provide free online access to high-quality digital surrogates of notable philatelic exhibits and to become the most extensive resource for viewing philatelic exhibits on the web. The exhibit section of the RAMDL has been renamed the Robert W. Hisey Exhibit Collection in Robert's memory and in recognition of Elizabeth's gift.

The planned expansion will include the launch of a scanning service for current exhibitors, offering the option to have their exhibits scanned by the APRL digitization team. For those who wish to digitize their work themselves, the APRL can offer support and guidance during the process. Exhibitors will benefit from the digitization team's technical expertise, digital know-how, and philately-first approach. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Current digitization efforts in the RAMDL have prioritized the digitization of philatelic journals, but this generous donation will allow the library to significantly broaden the scope of the materials that will be accessible to philatelists around the world.

About Robert W. Hisey
Robert Warren Hisey, 1931-2024, was an internationally known chemical engineer for the pulp and paper industry, and philatelist extraordinaire. A member of the APS for 43 years, his primary interests were Southern Africa, airmail, and Finland.

With Tim Bartshe, he wrote multiple editions of a three-volume book on Orange State Philately (2002-2009). Hisey's The "Officials" of the South Africa: Stamps of the Union of South Africa 1910-1961 was produced on CD; he also wrote on Zimbabwe postal rates, edited the electronic CD of Forerunners for the the Philatelic Society of Greater Southern Africa (PSGSA), and wrote articles on Finnish philately for the Posthorn.

By Zoom, he presented Single Pixel Colorimetry and Optical Density in Philately at the October 2020 Institute for Analytical Philatelic Symposium.

His philatelic exhibits won medals as high as large gold and earned him invitations to the single frame Champion of Champions and George Brett Cup competitions. Exhibit subjects and titles which evolved and changed over time included World War II African Airmail to and from the U.S., French African Airmail Routes, The 1d Ship Stamp of South Africa, The Officials of South Africa 1926-1950, Death of a Postal System: Zimbabwe Inflation, The First Definitives of the Finnish Republic, and Martta Wendelin – Her Christmas Seals.

Hisey served as Secretary, Treasurer, Director, and Publications Chair for PSGSA and as a senior fellow and on the advisory board for the Institute of Analytical Philately. In 2007, he received the J Harvey Pirie memorial award of the PSGSA.

Bob served as a consultant for the American Philatelic Expertizing Service and donated collections of South Africa and Southwest Africa to the APS Reference Collection.

After moving to Sarasota, Florida, Bob and his wife Liz were also active locally with the Sarasota Philatelic Club and Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition.

About the Robert A. Mason Digital Library
The Robert A. Mason Digital Library is a growing collection of digital philatelic resources that are free and open to the public thanks to the support of our membership and numerous collaborators. Its mission is to increase access and visibility of materials from the philatelic community, philatelic history, and the practice of philately around the world. This is in adherence with the core mission of the American Philatelic Society- to promote, educate, and enhance the practice of philately for people of all ages and backgrounds. The RAMDL aims to broaden the reach and understanding of Philately for the purposes of growing, strengthening, and evolving the philatelic community in an increasingly modern digital era.

Very nice.

Nice mission. Nice tribute.