A commemorative stamp with the image of Justice Louis D. Brandeis will be released as part of the United States Postal Service's 2009 commemorative stamp program at a dedication ceremony that will take place at Brandeis University on Sept. 24.

The 2009 Commemorative Stamp Program recognizes the achievements of four prominent United States Supreme Court Justices. The other Justices whose images will appear on the commemorative stamps are Joseph Story, Felix Frankfurter and William J. Brennan Jr. The Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee in Arlington, Virginia oversaw the selection process for the justices. The stamps will go on sale Aug. 23.



University President Jehuda Reinharz and James Holland, the postmaster general of Boston, will dedicate the new Louis Brandeis stamp at the base of the statue of Justice Brandeis located on campus. Justice Brandeis' grandson Frank Gilbert will speak at the ceremony, and William Bowen, the University's "singing postman," will perform at the event.

A commemorative program including a special cancellation for the Brandeis stamp will also be distributed during the event. Customer Relations Coordinator for the Boston district Barbara Dunphy- Lundrigan explained that the Brandeis stamp can be canceled with the special date of the dedication ceremony. The cancellation will also feature the University seal, Dunphy- Lundrigan added.

The stamp dedication is a part of the University's Brandeis Celebrates Brandeis salute occurring in September. Brandeis Celebrates Brandeis will have another event on September 29, a meet the author program with Brandeis biographer Melvin Urofsky regarding the publication of a new biography about Justice Brandeis.



"I'm grateful for the significant recognition from the government that Grandfather serviced," said Gilbert in an interview with the Justice.



In an e-mail to the Justice, Reinharz wrote, "The statue of Justice Brandeis is the most prominent physical representation of Louis Brandeis on campus. It was at the suggestion of the Boston Postmaster, James Holland, that the University was selected as the site for the unveiling."



Gilbert briefly discussed with the Justice what he will address in his speech at the stamp dedication ceremony. "I would say the University would bring happiness to Grandfather. [Justice Brandeis] considered himself an educator. He would be pleased by the scholarship of members of the faculty and want to read their books. He would be pleased about the growth and potential of the students," Gilbert said.



In an e-mail to the Justice, Reinharz stated that the Louis Brandeis stamp "is a reminder for the members of the Brandeis community of the values espoused by Justice Brandeis, which are reflected in the University's core mission of academic excellence, social justice, non-sectarianism and support for the Jewish community."



Bowen, who has worked at Brandeis since March of 1979, said, "I think it's a wonderful honor for Justice Brandeis. It's really a monument to what he accomplished in his day and what we're still trying to instill in the students that come through the school.