George Wendell Brett of Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, was a philatelist

Philately

Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...

 who wrote extensively on postage stamp

Postage stamp

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...

s and other material produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety of security products for the United States government, most notable of which is paper currency for the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve itself is...

 and was called ”Mr. BIA” by his colleagues.

Philatelic literature

Brett contributed over five hundred articles to philatelic journals. He authored several books on postage stamps and their printing, including “The Giori Press: A Comprehensive Study of Current Stamp Production at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing “ in 1961, and “Printing Methods and Techniques” in 1985.

Philatelic activity

Brett was active in the philatelic community. He was president of the United States Stamp Society

United States Stamp Society

The United States Stamp Society is the largest philatelic organization dedicated to the research and study of United States postage and revenue stamps. The Society is a non-profit collector-based organization with a world-wide membership of over 1700. The USSS is Affiliate #150 of the American...

 (previously called the Bureau Issues Association) during 1966 and 1967, then continued on as chairman and emeritus chairman until his death. And from 1961 to 1963 he was a member of the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

Stamp Advisory Committee

The Stamp Advisory Committee is a committee to advise on the design of British postage stamps.- History :The committee was originally established as an independent body under the auspices of the Council of Industrial Design...

.

Honors and awards

Brett was honored with the Lichtenstein Medal

Lichtenstein Medal

The Lichtenstein Medal, also known as the Alfred F. Lichtenstein Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Philately is given annually to a living individual for outstanding service to philately.-Origin:...

 in 1983, the Luff Award

Luff Award

The Luff Award is awarded by the American Philatelic Society for meritorious contributions to philately by living philatelists.-Established:...

 for distinguished philatelic research in 1978, and numerous other awards. He was named to the Writers Hall of Fame in 1979 and the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame

American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame

The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately.-History:...

in 2006.