Jesse M. Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Jesse Monroe Donaldson was the first United States Postmaster General
to have started his career as a letter carrier. A Methodist and a Freemason, Donaldson began his postal career in 1908 as one of three mailmen for the Shelbyville, Illinois
, post office, then rose through the ranks of the Department, being appointed Postmaster General by President Harry S. Truman
in 1947 and serving for the remainder of the Truman Administration until 1953. During this period he modernized the postal service and also announced the "3 cent Gold Star Mothers" stamp in recognition of the Sullivan brothers
' mother. He died in Kansas City, Missouri
, in 1970.
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
to have started his career as a letter carrier. A Methodist and a Freemason, Donaldson began his postal career in 1908 as one of three mailmen for the Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville is a city in Shelby County, Illinois, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2010 census, the population was at 4700. It is the county seat of Shelby County...
, post office, then rose through the ranks of the Department, being appointed Postmaster General by President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
in 1947 and serving for the remainder of the Truman Administration until 1953. During this period he modernized the postal service and also announced the "3 cent Gold Star Mothers" stamp in recognition of the Sullivan brothers
Sullivan brothers
The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau , the vessel on which they all served, on November 13, 1942, in World War II....
' mother. He died in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, in 1970.