Dr. Reuben RAMKISSOON
Bureau Member of the FIP Section for Astrophilately since 1986 till 2015.
Dr. REUBEN (Ben) A. RAMKISSOON has had a long history of involvement in astrophilately, having served as Vice-President of the FIP Section of Astrophilately, and as well holding membership in the FIP Bureau of Astrophilately till 2015. He was the American Philatelic Society's Representative to the FIP Section of Astrophilately till 2015.
Dr. Ramkissoon has been a foremost United States exhibitor in astrophilately for 40 years, with his gold medal award winning entry, "The Development of the United States Lunar Exploration"
Other exhibits include, "The Mariner Missions," "Jovian Journeys and Beyond," "International Co-operation in Space Exploration," "Dr. Robert Goddard, Father of American Rocketry," "The First Man on the Moon," A Study of NASA VIP Post Cards," etc.
Dr. Ramkissoon has written extensively on a wide variety of astrophilatelic subjects, published in the ASTROPHILE--JOURNAL OF ASTROPHILATELY, AIRPOST JOURNAL, JACK KNIGHT AIR LOG, CONGRESS BOOKS 2004, 2005 and 2006 of the American Philatelic Congress," "ONE HALF FATHOM," "INNER AND OUTER SPACE," and in the Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. "COMPEX DIRECTORY," In addition, he has written to a large number of philatelic society Bulletins, Newsletters and Journals on a variety of subjects relating to astrophilately.
Major astrophilatelic works include;
"Astrophilately in Canada," (Chapter 20 in the Canadian Air Mail Society and the American Air Mail Society's catalog);
"Air Mails of Canada and Newfoundland”;
Handbook on Philatelic Exhibiting (Randy Neil), Chapter on Astrophilately and two subsequent revisions by Neal and later by Ada M. Prill;
"How to Collect Space Covers," with annual updates and revisions;
"Study of Suspect Space Covers" (co-author with Les Winick, and later revised and updated by Paul Bulver);
"A Philatelic History of Space Exploration" (co-author with Les Winick);
"United States Space Covers--Price Guide and Catalog 1975, 1976, 1977";
"What is Astrophilately?” in "Collecting Air Mail" by the American Air Mail Society, 1996.
In addition to astrophilatelic positions already cited, Dr. Ramkissoon has served as the United States Commissioner for ESPAMER '96, Aviacion y Espacio '96, Seville, Spain; as a member of the APS Expert Committee; as Chair of the Space Unit Expert Committee, and the APS International Committee. He has received the APS John N. Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research in 2003, the Lester E. Winick Award from the Space Topics Study Group (Space Unit) of the APS / ATA for outstanding service to Astrophilately, and the NOAA Society Award for service to astrophilately.
Having served as President of the Space Topics Study Group for 16 years, Dr. Ramkissoon was named President Emeritus of the Society, holding honorary life membership; he continues as an ardent ambassador of astrophilately in the United States and in a global outreach in the pursuit of astrophilately.
His motto, "We have space for you!"
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