About This Stamp
In 2005, the Postal Service honored Arthur Ashe (1943–1993), the first African-American man to win Grand Slam tennis tournaments — Wimbledon and the United States and Australian Opens. Ashe became as renowned for his intellect, moral character, and commitment to social causes as for his prowess on the tennis courts of the world. A month before Ashe died, Sports Illustrated named him "Sportsman of the Year" and ran this color photograph of him by Michael O’Neill on the cover of the December 21, 1992, issue. The softly lit, photographic portrait shows a bespectacled Ashe in semi-profile against a black background, holding a tennis racket. The image merges Ashe’s athletic and intellectual attributes and reveals a visionary quality as Ashe appears to gaze into the future, where he believed positive change could be realized.
Arthur Ashe™ c/o CMG Worldwide, Indianapolis, IN
Art Director
Carl T. Herrman
As an art director for the U.S. Postal Service® for more than 15 years, Carl T. Herrman designed more than 50 stamps and guided more than 250 stamp projects, including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, and Comic Strip Classics. He also served as art director for five of the Celebrate the Century stamp panes. He has won more than 260 awards for design and design management, including two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators.
Herrman’s career has included positions as Director of Creative Services and adjunct professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and Director of Marketing and Publications for the University of California at Irvine. He has provided consulting services for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and numerous academic institutions. Herrman lives in Carlsbad,California.