Honor Tesla

Recently it has been brought to my attention that nearly 30 years ago Mr. Leland Anderson of Denver, Colorado submitted a design for a Tesla commemorative stamp to the United States, Postal Service. It featured a portrait of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) in the center with a view of the American Falls at the left and a electrical transmission tower with wires on the right. This was for a 3¢ US postage stamp honoring the Tesla Centennial in 1956.

Tesla treasured being an American and his greatest feat was harnessing the waterpower of "Niagara Falls". In 1976 the people of his native Yugoslavia placed a large impressive statue of Tesla near the American Falls as a Bicentennial gift to the United States.

In June 1983 the USPS released an advance design of the Tesla stamp to be issued September 21. 1983. It features Tesla's portrait and a motor. which is only one of his 700 plus inventions.

The purpose of issuing a stamp is to honor a person and make him. better known. Not very many people know about Tesla compared to electrical inventor Thomas Edison.

Millions of people visit Niagara annually and could pay tribute to Tesla if his statue and the "American Falls" were on his stamp.

In 136 years of issuing stamps. USPS has never featured our "American Falls". Over the past few years many letters have been published and sent to Washington concerning these facts. Why is the USPS un-American and not properly honoring Tesla, the "World's Greatest Engineer"?

Herbert C. Force
Niagara Falls. N. Y.