Third Annual Scholarship Awards on Postal History Granted

U.S. Postal Service Moroney Awards Presented to Two Wisconsin Scholars

WASHINGTON — Two prizes acknowledging excellence in those who publish works involving American postal history have been awarded to a university professor and a college student. Professor Anuj Desai, University of Wisconsin Law School, and Philip Glende, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Wisconsin-Madison, received the Rita Lloyd Moroney Awards from U.S. Postal Service representatives in recognition of their important undertakings.

The Rita Lloyd Moroney Awards are designed to encourage scholarship on the history of the American postal system and to raise awareness about the significance of the postal system in American life. They include the Senior Prize ($2,000) for work published by faculty members, independent scholars, public historians, and other non-degree candidates and the Junior Prize ($1,000) for work written or published by undergraduates or graduate students.

Professor Desai’s two articles, “The Transformation of Statutes into Constitutional Law: How Early Post Office Policy Shaped Modern First Amendment Doctrine,” and “Wiretapping Before the Wires: The Post Office and the Birth of Communications Privacy,” merited the Senior Prize. Glende’s essay, “Victor Berger’s Dangerous Ideas: Censoring the Mail to Preserve National Security During World War I,” secured the Junior Prize for its author. Professor Desai’s articles were published in the March 2007 Hastings Law Journal and the November 2007 Stanford Law Review; Glende’s work, in “Essays in Economic and Business History – Volume XXVI, 2008.

The awards are intended for scholarship on any topic on the history of the American postal system from the colonial era to the present — including the history of the imperial postal system that preceded the establishment of the American postal system in 1775. Though submissions must be historical in character, they can draw on the methods of disciplines other than history, for example, geography, cultural studies, literature, communications, or economics. Comparative or international historical studies are eligible if the American postal system is central to the discussion.

“The U.S. Postal Service continues to be the backbone of communications in America,” said Vice President, Government Relations Marie Therese Dominguez. “As the country’s first communications network, it’s played a significant role in shaping American business, politics, labor, popular culture, social reform and transportation,” she added. “Professor Desai’s and Mr. Glende’s work underscores the true value of the mail as a terribly impactful — yet inexpensive — medium of communications.”

Rita Lloyd Moroney, the awards' namesake, began conducting historical research for the Postmaster General in 1962 and later served as of the U.S. Postal Service historian from 1973 to 1991. Additional information on these awards and application instructions are at usps.com/postalhistory/moroneyaward.htm.