Happy Birthday Mr. ZIP, July 1st, 1963! If you’ve been around a bit (say a little over 50 years) you might remember when once upon a time the U.S. Postmaster General held a Cabinet seat putting him IN LINE TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! The then named Post Office Department (P.O.D.) was actually a separate Cabinet under The Executive Branch of our government. No kidding! I’m talking right up there on level with the Departments of: State, Defense, Treasury, Justice, Interior, Energy, Education, etc. That was how important mail service was for around a century (1872 to July 1, 1971,) up till the agency became the United States Postal Service, USPS.
Of course that was all before today’s marvels in technology: the world wide web, email, websites, and online bill paying. And last, but certainly not least, the smart phone with its banking and shopping by phone. Heck, you may even be able to do most of that on a smart watch nowadays! Remember when we use to see how many people could pile into a phone booth…No? Anyway back in its heyday the Post Office was Top Dog and communications and merchandising pretty much centered around the post office and its national delivery service.
Still in service today, one of the most prominent innovations affecting not only our mail but all transportation services began July 1, 1963, when the Post Office Department introduced the Zone Improvement Plan, or ZIP Code. And a stick-figure like man entered the scene, educating mailers and catching the eye–and hearts–of the mailing public. He was brilliantly named…Mr. ZIP!
When he first arrived, Mr. ZIP was A-No. 1, Top of the Heap, King of The Hill, and rightfully so! He vastly improved communications, automating and expediting delivery service not just for the average citizen, but for businesses and our U.S. economy as a whole. In their efforts to get the public to use the ZIP Code, Mr. ZIP was everywhere: television, radio, posters, lunch pails, toys, banks, on buses, billboards…you name it. Man, this cat was “In with the in Crowd!”
So, on the 60th anniversary of his birth (or whatever) and on behalf of every letter carrier that processes mail–and of course Mr. ZIP–I want to say “Thank You.” YES YOU, the postal customer for using the ZIP Code habitually, expediting mail delivery into the 21st Century and beyond! It could never have been a success without you and your continued use of ZIP Codes. And that is probably the best birthday present anyone could give Mr. ZIP.
Finally, if you’ve stayed with me this long here’s a tribute by Jane Pauley on CBS’s Sunday Morning Series celebrating Mr. ZIP’s 55th Birthday five years ago today. It’s a fun, short run down of USPS’ introduction of the 5-digit ZIP Code program. There’s even some groovy tunes by The Swinging Six band and Ethel Merman promoting the new 5-digit ZIP Code marvel!
POSTCRIPT. Question: Where did Mr. ZIP hang his hat prior to joining USPS? Answer: Chase Manhatten Bank, NY.
HAPPY 60th MR. ZIP!
“Life would be a dreary waste, if there was no thing called loyalty”
Charlie Chan, The Chinese Parrot, 1926, Chapter 2
The Postman on Holiday 
Love this! Please let Liz know I’m trying to reach her too
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Nice history lesson! Used to ask students what ZIP stood for! No one ever got it right!
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HaHa, too good, Tony. Remember, “Old mailman never die, they just lose their ZIP.” :)
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Ah…I recall the birth of the venerable Mr. Zip, also his younger brother, Zip+4 in 1983! Their daddy, Postal Zone, arrived in May 1943.
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Rush, thanks for adding that tidbit about the postal zones. I would suspect that most of the public doesn’t use the +4 add on, but it’s incorporated into the barcode usually, when it’s whisked through the letter processing machines. Now the question is, “will Mr. ZIP collect Social Security in 2 year?”
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Such a fun blog! I remember the introduction of ZIP codes and all the advertising. I also remember that because it was new and just five digits, I and my friends found ZIP codes very easy to remember and use. Not so for the +4. I have never bothered to memorize my +4 AND have noticed that different businesses tell me different numbers for my +4. Some will say, for example, that my +4 is 8801. Another will say 8804. And another will say 8749. And so on. I figure that if so many businesses can get this mysterious +4 so wrong so often, it isn’t for me to concern myself about.
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Barbara, thanks. Yes, same here; different +4s from different folks. However, one place it actually worked it’s magic was to overseas military post offices; those with only lockboxes for patrons. In the ’90s I think, we finally got USPS to put us into there system and assign +4s to lockbox addresses. For example boxes 1 through 99 at an Air Force post office ZIP had +0001, boxes 101-199 had +0002 and so on for that particular ZIP. USPS was able to have the machine stack them into letter trays in sequence of 100s. So pitching mail into a lockbox went a whole lot quicker. Not sure if they still are doing that though. When I left they threatened to seize & desist as it too two or three runs through the letter sorter to get that level sort, and we didn’t generate enough mail.
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Really enjoyed learning about Mr. Zip. Also enjoyed your style of writing. Thank you for the postal history lesson.
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