To help mark St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a look at five Americans with Irish lineage who were honored with stamps:
• John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, has been the subject of several stamps — most recently a 2020 release. During a presidential visit to the Emerald Isle, Kennedy (1917-1963) remarked: “When my great-grandfather left here to become a [barrel maker] in East Boston, he carried nothing with him except two things: a strong religious faith and a strong desire for liberty. I am glad to say that all of his great-grandchildren have valued that inheritance.”
• Nellie Cashman, a pioneering female entrepreneur in Tombstone, AZ, was honored with a stamp in 1994. Cashman (circa 1850-1925), who emigrated from Ireland in the 1860s, became known as “The Angel of Tombstone” for her contributions to social welfare and the arts.
• Tenor John McCormack (1884-1945) was featured on a 1984 stamp. McCormack was born in Ireland and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1917. The quality of his voice and extraordinary breath control made him one of the most celebrated singers of his time.
• James Hoban (circa 1762-1831), who emigrated from Ireland after the American Revolution, was honored with a stamp in 1981. The famed architect won a national competition to design the White House, and President George Washington placed him in charge of its construction. Hoban also supervised reconstruction of the White House after the War of 1812.
• Playwright Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) was featured on a 1967 stamp. Although he was born in New York City, his father was an Irish immigrant and his mother was of Irish descent. “The one thing that explains more than anything about me is the fact that I’m Irish,” O’Neill said in 1946. He won the Nobel Prize in literature and wrote four Pultizer Prize-winning plays.