United States Stamp Society
   

Hugh M. Southgate Memorial Trophy

The United States Stamp Society's most important award for 19th Century exhibiting is the Hugh M. Southgate Memorial Trophy.  It was first announced in the November, 1968 issue of The United States Specialist that one of our members had offered to match the BIA-Hopkinson Trophy, given for an exhibit of 20th Century U.S., with one of equal stature for 19th Century United States stamps.  George W. Brett reported on page 424 in that issue as follows:

This award will be in honor of the memory of Hugh M. Southgate (1871-1940), first President of the Bureau Issues Association and one of its original founders.  HMS, as he was affectionately known, was one of the most respected researchers and writers of his day and his leadership in philatelic circles brought great prestige to our Association.  His opinions and knowledge were eagerly sought by students and philatelic writers everywhere.  The Southgate Memorial Trophy is intended to complement the Hopkinson award with one of equal distinction for most of the U.S. field not covered by the latter.  This matching award will be given annually during the lifetime of the donor.  The award will be first offered in calendar year 1969.  As with the Hopkinson, it will be offered only at a national or international show as determined by the Executive Committee; it may or may not be given at the same show as the Hopkinson.  Applications are welcome at any time from appropriate shows and may be made to Morris Merkur, Secretary of the Association, for 1969 and succeeding years.  Only members of this Association will be eligible to compete for the Southgate award and they may win it only once.  A Hopkinson award winner, however, is not barred from receiving the Southgate trophy for appropriate material, nor would a Southgate award winner be ineligible for that reason to compete for the Hopkinson.  For the Southgate trophy to be earned there must be at least three eligible exhibitors at the show where it is offered and the award is to be given to the best exhibit, in the opinion of the judges, of those eligible.

While essentially, the Southgate award is to be given for an exhibit of 19th century U.S. stamps of any or all classes (provided they were issued by the national government), it is intended that any related and sequential 20th century material may be included in considering an exhibit for the award.  An example of this would be an exhibit where most of the issues are 19th century but for which there may be a few 20th Century specimens necessary to show completion of the subject being exhibited.  Thus, the Southgate award differs from the Hopkinson as the latter is awarded strictly on the basis of an exhibit's 20th century U.S. content.  The Southgate is intended to provide more leeway in the judging with the desire that questions be resolved in favor of giving the award, rather than not giving it.
GWB
                Southgate Trophy Winners

YearAwardeeLocation
1969Morton Dean JoyceSEPAD
1972Louis GruninNOPEX
1973William M. FitchNAPEX
1975Henry M. GobieFLOREX
1976William O. SchumanINTERPHIL
1981William M. FitchSEPAD
1983Lynne S. Warm-GriffithsSTAMPSHOW
1984Henry M. GobieSTAMPOREE
1987Cortlande ClarkeSTAMPSHOW
1990William O. SchumanNAPEX
1992Richard DrewsFLOREX
1993Eliot LandauST. LOUIS EXPO
1995Peter G. DuPuyPHILATELIC SHOW
2000Irv HeimburgerNAPEX
2002Peter G. DuPuyPNSE
2003Robert D. HohertzCHICAGOPEX
2004Thomas C. MazzaNOJEX
2005Irvin HeimburgerINDYPEX

 


 
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