Distinguished Americans series

The Distinguished Americans series is a set of definitive stamps issued by the United States Postal Service which was started in 2000 with a 10¢ stamp depicting Joseph Stilwell.{{Cite book|editor=Wozniak, Maurice D. |year=2001 |title=Krause-Minkus Standard Catalog of U.S. Stamps |location=Iola, Wisconsin |publisher=Krause Publications |page=166 |isbn=978-0-87349-321-5}} The designs of the first nine issues are reminiscent of the earlier Great Americans series, but less austere. The first nine issues were done with black lines on a white background, but in 2008, with the James A. Michener issue (#10), the USPS added color toning. Like the Great Americans series, the first twelve issues measured 0.84 inches by 0.99 inches overall,{{Cite news|last=Baadke |first=Michael |date=17 March 2017 |title=Meet Robert Panara, the latest subject of a Distinguished Americans stamp |newspaper=Linn's Stamp News |url=http://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/2017/march/robert-panara-distinguished-americans-stamp-united-states-postal-service.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317222450/http://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/2017/march/robert-panara-distinguished-americans-stamp-united-states-postal-service.html |archive-date=17 March 2017 |url-status=live}} and were all designed by Mark Summers of Waterdown, Ontario.{{Cite web |last=Batdorf |first=Lynn |date=2 February 2009 |title=Distinguished Americans Issue (2000-2012) |publisher=Arago (Smithsonian National Postal Museum) |url=https://arago.si.edu/category_2037600.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115230816/https://arago.si.edu/category_2037600.html |archive-date=15 January 2016 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|title=Two American Legends Appearing on Stamps: The Postal Service Honors James Michener and Dr. Edward Trudeau |date=15 May 2008 |publisher=United States Postal Service |url=http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2008/sr08_058.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414054809/http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2008/sr08_058.pdf |archive-date=14 April 2017 |url-status=live}} In 2011, with the Oveta Culp Hobby stamp, the series went to a larger format with full color images and colored backgrounds.{{Cite web|title=2011 USPS New Issues Calendar |publisher=Stamp News Now |url=http://www.stampnewsnow.com/uspsnewissues2011.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127161827/http://www.stampnewsnow.com/uspsnewissues2011.html |archive-date=27 January 2012 |url-status=live}}

The 2004 Rudolph stamp is the only one in the series to have been issued in both a sheet (pane) and booklet format.See Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue volume 1, United States #3422 and #3436. Both the 2001 Caraway issue and the 2002–2003 Ferber issues have perforation differences.See Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue volume 1, United States #'s 3431, 3432, 3433, 3434.

The stamps issued in this series include the following (rank, date of issue, denomination, depicted person):

1. 2000, August 24. 10¢. General Joseph W. Stilwell.
2. 2000, September 7. 33¢. Senator Claude Pepper.
3. 2001, February 21. 76¢. Senator Hattie W. Caraway.
4. 2002, July 29. 83¢. Author Edna Ferber. Reissued in 2003 with 11¼ x 11¼ perforations.
5. 2004, July 14. 23¢. Athlete Wilma Rudolph{{Cite web|title=Stamp Announcement 04-22 Wilma Rudolph Definitive Stamp |publisher=United States Postal Service |url=https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2004/html/pb22130/p-sx.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414041601/https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2004/html/pb22130/p-sx.html |archive-date=14 April 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}
6. 2006, March 9. 63¢. Medical scientist Jonas Salk.
7. 2006, March 9. 87¢. Virologist Albert Sabin.
8. 2007, June 13. 58¢. Senator Margaret Chase Smith.{{Cite web|title=Stamp Announcement 07-18: Margaret Chase Smith |publisher=United States Postal Service |url=https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2007/html/pb22206/info3.10.2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414035111/https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2007/html/pb22206/info3.10.2.html |archive-date=14 April 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}
9. 2007, June 13. 75¢. Author Harriet Beecher Stowe.{{Cite web|title=Stamp Announcement 07-19: Harriet Beecher Stowe |publisher=United States Postal Service |url=https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2007/html/pb22206/info3.10.3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414035718/https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2007/html/pb22206/info3.10.3.html |archive-date=14 April 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy}}
10. 2008, May 12. 59¢. Author James A. Michener.
11. 2008, May 12. 76¢. Physician Edward Trudeau.
12. 2009, May 15. 78¢. Philanthropist Mary Lasker.{{Cite web|title=Stamp Announcement 09-26: Mary Lasker |publisher=United States Postal Service |url=http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2009/pb22256/html/info_011.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414040924/http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2009/pb22256/html/info_011.htm |archivedate=14 April 2017 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}
13. 2011, April 15. 84¢, first-class mail, three-ounce rate stamp. Stateswoman Oveta Culp Hobby.
14. 2012, April 26. Forever.Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current first-class mail one-ounce rate. {{Cite web |title=Forever Stamps – Explanation, History, and Current Value |date=16 June 2016 |publisher=Stamp Collecting Spot |url=https://stampcollectingspot.com/forever-stamps-explanation-history-and-current-value |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915032900/https://stampcollectingspot.com/forever-stamps-explanation-history-and-current-value |archive-date=15 September 2016 |url-status=live }} Actor José Ferrer.{{Cite web |title=2012 New U.S. Stamp Issues |publisher=American Philatelic Society |url=http://stamps.org/New-Issues-2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512171505/http://stamps.org/New-Issues-2012 |archive-date=12 May 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=14 April 2017 }}
15. 2014, March 13. 70¢, first-class mail, two-ounce rate stamp. Aviator C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson.{{Cite web|title=Stamp Announcement 14-14: C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson Stamp |publisher=United States Postal Service |url=http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2014/pb22383/html/info_007.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729195837/http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2014/pb22383/html/info_007.htm |archive-date=29 July 2014 |url-status=live }}
16. 2017, April 11. 70¢, first-class mail, two-ounce rate stamp. Teacher, pioneer of deaf studies Robert Panara.{{Cite web|title=2017 New U.S. Stamp Issues |publisher=American Philatelic Society |url=http://stamps.org/US-New-Issues }}