The Morrill Of The Story: Why Justin Morrill Got His Stamp
Adapted from John Freitag’s Historical Note, “Why Justin Morrill Got His Stamp”, printed in the 2023 Strafford Town Report.
Senator Justin Smith Morrill, who was born in 1810, the son of a Strafford blacksmith, retired from a career in store-keeping and investing and went on to be elected to Congress in 1852. He served there until his death in 1898. He was one of the most influential political leaders of our nation in the second half of the 19th century, helping to steer the financial course of our nation, shaping our nation’s Capitol building and grounds, and, most significantly, demonstrating his commitment to books and learning. Morrill not only authored the bill which created the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., but he also designed, oversaw construction and then gifted to our community, Strafford’s first library, which is now our Town Clerk’s Office.
His most celebrated accomplishment, however, was undoubtedly authoring and passing the Land Grant College Acts, which opened up higher education to working people across America wand provided them with the skills needed to make the most of themselves while benefitting our entire nation. Campuses across the nation including the University of Vermont, the University of New Hampshire and Cornell in New York, have Morrill Halls dedicated in his honor. According to the Friends of the Morrill Homestead’s website, there are 105 Land Grant colleges and universities and over 25 million graduates world-wide. On July 17, 1999 the United States Postal Service issued the Justin Morrill postage stamp.
Efforts, including those of the Strafford Historical Society, had been made since 1955 for a Morrill stamp. The first day issue was held appropriately enough in Morrill’s hometown of Strafford with events and celebrations held in the Town House and the Morrill Homestead. Coordinating and helping to arrange the events in Strafford were Friends of the Morrill Homestead President Andersen Thorp and Strafford Historical Society President John Freitag.
Justin Morrill Stamp
Justin Smith Morrill postage stamp issued in 1999. (From the Smithsonian National Postal Museum website: © Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
The official unveiling of the Justin Morrill stamp
The official unveiling of the Justin Morrill stamp took place at the Town House. More than 100 people attended the event at which the Constitutional Bass Quintet provided musical selections. Dignitaries included one current and one former United States Senator from Vermont, two university presidents and a host of state politicians. Andersen Thorp gave the welcome, dedication of the stamp was delivered by the District Manager of the Postal Service, followed by remarks from Senator James Jeffords and University of Vermont President Judith Ramaley. A table-sized blow-up of the stamp was unveiled, which now hangs in the Strafford post office in the Brick Store that was once Morrill’s main place of business.
Celebrating the dedication of the Justin Smith Morrill postage stamp on the veranda of the Justin Morrill Homestead. Photo courtesy of John Freitag.
Events in the afternoon moved to the Morrill Homestead. Dartmouth College President James Wright addressed the gathering and presented to the Homestead a plaque from the National Association of Land Grant Colleges along with a personal appreciation for the work of Justin Morrill. Wright’s father was a miner in Galena Illinois. Wright himself tried working in the mine as a teenager and decided it was not for him and joined the Marines. After his service, he attended the University of Wisconsin, a Land-Grant institution, on the G.I. bill. He eventually became a professor of history there and then at Dartmouth, before being selected to lead this prestigious college. Wright in his remarks said that Justin Morrill “made it quite possible for millions of Americans—and I count myself in that group—to receive a higher education.”
Seated on the veranda at the Homestead were two other United States Senators from Vermont: Robert Stafford and James Jeffords. Senator Stafford was the author of the Stafford loan program which over the years has helped hundreds of thousands of Americans attend college. Senator Jeffords’ contributions included such landmark education laws as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the No Child Left Behind Act and the Higher Education Act. Both Stafford and Jeffords saw themselves as following in Morrill’s footsteps in working to provide educational opportunities for all Americans.
A special touch to the program at the Homestead was the singing of the song “Justin” from the musical “The Morrill of the Story” written by Newton School teachers Joey Hawkins and Frances Wilson. This musical had been performed as part of the United Church of Strafford’s Lord’s Acre event the previous fall and members of the Strafford chorus gladly gave a reprise of this signature song from that performance. It was a fitting conclusion: Justin Morrill’s accomplishments were so far-reaching that recognition for them (like the United States postage stamp in his honor) is still coming, even century after his passing. Morrill’s entire life was deeply centered in Strafford. Of his hometown, Morrill said: “Here to me even the stars, the planets and the moon seem to shine more brightly then elsewhere and here to me has been my home.” His sentiments are shared by many in Strafford today.
2024 Walking Tours
The 2024 Walking Tours of Justin Morrill's Strafford home will take place on the following Saturdays: June 15, July 20, August 18 and September 21. All tours start at 11 am from the Justin Morrill Homestead.
The Morrill Homestead - Vermont's First National Historic Landmark