An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1953-1983
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration
Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Description
Administrative Information
Abstract
Papers 1953-1983
Post Office Department employee; inventor of the ZIP Code. Materials relating to the development of the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP Code).
Access
Open.
Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed December 1986, copyright of these materials has been assigned to the United States. Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.
Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.
Provenance
Received from H. Bentley Hahn of San Antonio, TX, in December 1986 (Acc. 1987-010).
Extent
About 600 items (5 linear inches ; 0.5 cubic feet).
Date Opened
1987
Processed by
Megan F. Desnoyers
Encoded by
James M. Roth
Related Collections
J. Edward Day Papers, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
The Personal Papers of H. Bentley Hahn(1910-1998)
Biographical Note
Henry Bentley Hahn , Sr. was born on Mar 14 1910 in Beaumont, Jefferson Co., Texas. Hahn served in the military from 1942 to 1946 in the U.S. Air Force. He attained the rank of colonel. In 1961, Hahn, a postal inspector in Baltimore, MD, invented the zip code. “Zip” is an acronym for “Zone Improvement Plan.” By July 1963, a five-digit code had been assigned to every address throughout the country. The first digit designated a broad geographical area of the United States, ranging from zero for the Northeast to nine for the far West. This was followed by two digits that more closely pinpointed population concentrations and those sectional centers accessible to common transportation networks. The final two digits designated small post offices or postal zones in larger zoned cities. Hahn, who resided in San Antonio, Texas, died on Nov 23 1998.
Collection Overview
The Personal Papers of H. Bentley Hahn document his role in inventing and developing the ZIP code system employed by the United States Post Office. Files include material relating to the development of the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP Code).
List of Series
Series 1. Postal Files, 1953-1983
Collection Description
Series 1. Postal Files, 1953-1983.
About 600 items.
Arrangement: chronological by date.
This series consists of files of H. Bentley Hahn, a Post Office Department employee who invented the ZIP Code. Materials relating to the development of the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP Code) include memorandums, reports, correspondence, announcements, studies, and articles.
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Box 1
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2-3/1953 Proposed reorganization of the Field Postal Service
1/19/61 Coding of pouch and sack labels
4-5/1961 Memo to Mr. Belen and letter from Mr. Barnes re: Distributition Code
4/1961-2/1962 Early reports and correspondence re: need for a Distribution Code
9/27/61 Memo from Mr. Belen to Mr. Day re: Postal Delivery Zone Address System
8-9/1962 Report outlining Distribution Code applied to the distribution of Social Security checks and response
10/3/1962 Report of Working Committee recommending the adoption of the H. B. Hahn code plan
11/28/1962 Announcement: zip code inauguration by P.M.G. Day, explanation of zip code by Hahn
11/28/62 Zip code slides, Presentation by P.M.G. Day and Bentley Hahn
11/28/62 Newspaper clippings regarding announcement of zip code and art work showing Mr. Zip
11-12/1962 Miscellaneous memos regarding implementation of zip code
Undated (c. 11/1962?) Nationwide integrated postal service plan (Postal Transportation Study)
12/31/1962 Hahn letter to Hartigan taking exception to his plan to disregard state boundaries in assignment of zip codes
1/1963 Survey of large mailers
4/29/1963 Public Relations kit for postmasters at offices to be assigned multiple zip codes
4/30/1963 Press release revealing the complete structure of zip code
5-11/1963 Various papers dealing with problems of parcel post and refusal of Bureau of transportation to approve zip code distribution of parcel post
5/1963, 1/1966 H.B. Hahn original recommendation that postal zones be determined by distance between sectional centers and related correspondence
6/15/1963 Executive Office of the President, Bureau of the Budget, Circular No. A,59
6/18/1963 Headquarters zip code briefing
6/27/1963 Postal bulletin, Inauguration of zip codes
6-7/1963 Report of Conference with Military Dept. Representatives and assignment of Military and Naval zip codes
6-7/1963 Zip code interim procedural instructions and training program script; suggested remarks on Nims and zip code for Nims anniversary meeting
6/1963-9/1964 Importance of zip code on parcels
1964 Papers dealing with problems of parcel post and steps to distribute parcel post by Zip code
3/1965
Federal Times
article on zip code
4/4/1965 Regional letter direction zip code distribution of parcel post at offices J having receipts of $10 per year or more
7/1965 “Zip Code, The Last Word in Mail Addressing”
10/18/1965 Report to Management Council, Consultative Committee for Postal I Studies, Universal Postal Union regarding zip code
2/1967 Comments regarding postal zones based on sectional centers
1965, 1967 Zip code presort of second, and third class mail
5/1968 Sectional center list of post offices in N.J. to be used zip code distribution of parcels which do not have zip codes in the address
1978 Presort requirements applicable to third class parcels mailed at the bulk rate
3-8/1983 Correspondence regarding the Twentieth anniversary of zip code |