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Post office honors four scientists

The post office on Wednesday has issued four new stamps honoring pioneering American scientists.
New stamps feature American scientists Josiah Williard Gibbs, Barbara McClintock, John von Neumann and Richard P. Feynman.
New stamps feature American scientists Josiah Williard Gibbs, Barbara McClintock, John von Neumann and Richard P. Feynman.USPS
/ Source: The Associated Press

The post office turned its attention to science Wednesday, issuing four new stamps honoring pioneering American scientists.

"These are some of the greatest scientists of our time; their pioneering discoveries still influence our lives today," John F. Walsh, a member of the U.S. Postal Service's board of governors, said in a statement.

Featured on the 37-cent stamps:

  • Josiah Willard Gibbs, who lived from 1839 to 1903, was a pioneer in the study of vector analysis, electromagnetic theory, statistical analysis and thermodynamics. He earned the first doctorate in engineering to be conferred in the United States. He taught at Yale University and was the author of several books and scientific papers.
  • Barbara McClintock won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine for her discoveries in genetics. She was among the first scientists to study the way genetic material controls the development of an organism.
  • John von Neumann was one of the top mathematicians of the 20th century. He helped develop a machine that became a model for modern computers, worked with Albert Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study and was a consultant in the project to build the first atomic bomb.
  • Richard P. Feynman won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1965 for work in quantum electrodynamics. His work included diagrams that help visualize the dynamics of atomic particles.

First day of issue ceremonies were being held at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., with the 37-cent stamps going on sale nationwide on Thursday.