Charles H. Yeager
1931-2001

Our past editor, Charles H. Yeager of Newburgh, Indiana passed away on December 11, 2001 at age 70.  He was born October 3, 1931.

Charlie Yeager, as he was known to his friends, was a college professor and taught Russian and German languages at Gallaudet College for the Deaf in Washington, DC for 30 years.  He also organized and led trips to the Soviet Union for his students.  He also was a Korean War Air Force veteran, with service as a language specialist He is survived by four sons, six grandchildren and two sisters.

Charles Yeager became Editor of The United States Specialist in 1988 and held that position to 1991 and stepped in to rescue the magazine during the editorial crisis of the mid-1990s, serving again during 1997-98.  He was also the Washington correspondent for Linn's Stamp News and also supplied important information from Washington to our Society.

Charlie is remembered as Mr. No Nonsense.  As Editor, he took no prisoners.  He had experience and knowledge and he had strong opinions of what and how material would be published in The Specialist.  It was Charlie's way or no way.  That did cause some mild headaches, but all in all, the Society needed a reliable and talented editor, especially in saving the magazine in the mid-1990s, and Charlie was certainly that.

Charlie authored many important pieces and made valuable contributions to U.S. philately.  Past-president Bill Dunn remembers him as "probably the best editor of the journal that USSS has ever had.  He had an incredible knowledge of stamp production, and was so well known to the BEP people that he could enter freely any part of their operations."  If he did not know the answer to a question concerning printing techniques and operations at the Bureau, he would direct questioners to those who did.

Charles was the "Washington correspondent" for the BIA/USSS and had many contacts at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  He was able to obtain detailed production information from the press floor.  He was instrumental in helping Kim Johnson and John Larson make arrangements at the BEP to collect information for the BIA Plate Number Checklist: Plates 20,000-41,303.  Many cartons of plate record cards were brought to the BEP from Suitland, MD for their examination during a 3-full-day visit.

Charlie was also helpful to new collectors.  He helped Joann Lenz explore her interest in modern stamp issues and introduced her to personnel at the BEP and encouraged her to make her first submission for a BEP opinion.  The results were described by Charlie in The Specialist.

Charles Yeager's impact on stamp collecting was usually seen in the background.  Mike Perry says, "It was through him that I learned to appreciate the technical aspects of stamp production.  I never was disappointed when I asked Charlie to help get information from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing regarding some new marginal marking I found on booklet panes.  He was able to furnish documents which resulted in a better understanding of what those obscure register markings were used for.  To a large degree, it was because of Charlie's encouragement that I created Research Paper #2 (Folded Style Booklet Checklist); most of the plate layout drawings included were a direct result of his help in obtaining photocopies of press sheets."

Jay Stotts recalls that he "prepared four installments of what turned out to be a thirteen part series and sent them off to Charlie as editor of The Specialist.  Charlie embraced my efforts and turned me on to what has turned into a twelve year stretch as an author an contributor to the journal."

Charlie also worked closely with Douglas Quine on the pair of articles about the history of the Postal Buddy systems.  The first article ultimately was used (with permission) as the core of the USPS request for proposal (RFP) when the systems were slated to go into production.

In the 1980s, when equipment changes brought unannounced new varieties of previously issued stamp designs, Charlie was the first to learn about them, and the only one who made first day covers of those stamps.  When production of 4¢ Stagecoach, 14¢ Iceboat, and 8.3¢ Ambulance coil stamps switched from the old Cottrell presses to the new Giori B press, and when production of the 50¢ Chester Nimitz stamp switched from the old sheet fed I-8 press to the newer web-fed Giori combination A press, Charlie prepared FDCs of each new stamp.  Today they are the rarest modern FDCs, fetching four-figure prices at auction.

We all owe Charlie a debt of gratitude for what he did for the Society and for U.S. philately.

A rare August 15, 1986, first day cover of the re-engraved 4¢ Stagecoach coil stamp, created by Charles Yeager on its unannounced issue date.