Paul Ramsay | |
|---|---|
 Ramsay in 2003 | |
| Born | 1953 Birmingham, England |
| Education | University of Birmingham |
| Occupation(s) | Software Engineer, philanthropist |
| Spouse | Yuanbi Su Ramsay |
Paul Ramsay FRPSL is a United States-based British-born philanthropist and computer tycoon.
Paul Ramsay was born in Birmingham, England. He graduated from Birmingham University with a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science in 1975, an MSc in Computer Science in 1976, and a PhD in Computer Science in 1982. [1] Ramsay worked for several computer companies after moving to California, United States, in 1983. Ramsay helped found US technology company Brocade Communications Systems in 1995. [2]
Ramsay and his wife Yuanbi, who is also a computer scientist, gave Birmingham University's School of Computer Science £1 million towards student bursaries and research. The Paul and Yuanbi Ramsay Bursaries are intended to encourage high-calibre students for whom financial considerations may prevent uptake of a place in the School of Computer Science. [3] [4] [5] Paul and Yuanbi Ramsay were both appointed to the Chancellor's Guild of Benefactors at Birmingham University. [6]
The Ramsays also set up the Paul and Yuanbi Ramsay Pediatric Endowed Fellowships at Stanford University's Child Health Research Institute in the United States, [7] and support conservation of the ocean through the Leadership Council of the Packards' Circle at the Monterey Bay Aquarium giving the aquarium more than $1 million over the years. [8]
After retiring from the technology industry, Ramsay continued to pursue his lifelong interest in philately. He joined the Great Britain Philatelic Society in 2007, publishing several articles in the Society's flagship magazine The GB Journal, and winning the Literature Field Award in 2016 for the most significant published work by a Society member in the field of GB Philately. [9] [10] From 2014 to 2020, he was editor of the Society's general information magazine The GBPS Newsletter. [11] In 2021, he won the Harry Dagnall Award for a significant contribution to the Society. [9]
Ramsay also joined the Royal Philatelic Society London as a member and was later elected a Fellow of the RPSL. In May 2018, he donated his collection of hand-painted envelopes to be auctioned by Spink on behalf of the RPSL. [12] [13] The auction raised £175,000 for the Tomorrow's Royal campaign.
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage. Then the stamp is affixed to the face or address-side of any item of mail—an envelope or other postal cover —which they wish to send. The item is then processed by the postal system, where a postmark or cancellation mark—in modern usage indicating date and point of origin of mailing—is applied to the stamp and its left and right sides to prevent its reuse. Next the item is delivered to its address.
Philatelic literature is written material relating to philately, primarily information about postage stamps and postal history.
Postage stamps and postal history of the United Kingdom surveys postal history and the postage stamps issued by that country, and its various historical territories until the present day.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Iraq. It includes special uses under the Ottoman Empire as well as occupation issues.
The Edward VIII postage stamps are a definitive stamp series issued in the United Kingdom during the 20 January – 11 December 1936 reign of King Edward VIII.
Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post and his solution of pre-payment, facilitating the safe, speedy and cheap transfer of letters. Hill later served as a government postal official, and he is usually credited with originating the basic concepts of the modern postal service, including the invention of the postage stamp.
The British post offices in Morocco, also known as the "Morocco Agencies", were a system of post offices operated by Gibraltar and later the United Kingdom in Morocco.
The Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) is the oldest philatelic society in the world. It was founded on 10 April 1869 as The Philatelic Society, London. The society runs a postal museum, the Spear Museum of Philatelic History, at its headquarters in the City of London.
The postage stamps of Ireland are issued by the postal operator of the independent Irish state. Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland when the world's first postage stamps were issued in 1840. These stamps, and all subsequent British issues, were used throughout Ireland until the new Irish Government assumed power in 1922. Beginning on 17 February 1922, existing British stamps were overprinted with Irish text to provide some definitives until separate Irish issues became available within the new Irish Free State. Following the overprints, a regular series of definitive stamps was produced by the new Department of Posts and Telegraphs, using domestic designs. These definitives were issued on 6 December 1922, the day that the Irish Free State officially came into existence; the first was a 2d stamp, depicting a map of Ireland. Since then new images, and additional values as needed, have produced nine definitive series of different designs.
England was included in a set of special commemorative postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail in 2006 to celebrate the component nations in the United Kingdom. The stamps featuring England were the final part of the British Journey series, which had previously featured Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. They were available as mint stamps, as a presentation pack, stamps cards, and a first day cover.
In general, philatelic fakes and forgeries are labels that look like postage stamps but have been produced to deceive or defraud. Learning to identify these can be a challenging branch of philately.
John Easton was a printer and philatelic author who signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1960.
The Kohl Briefmarken-Handbuch was a seminal work of philatelic literature first published in Germany in 1923 as the 11th edition of the previous well known Handbuch published by Paul Kohl of Chemnitz.
In philately, a cut-out is an imprinted stamp cut from an item of postal stationery such as a postal card, letter sheet, aerogramme or wrapper that may have been used as a normal stamp.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Czech Republic.
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Czechoslovakia.
The Board of Inland Revenue Stamping Department Archive in the British Library contains artefacts from 1710 onwards, and has come into existence through amendments in United Kingdom legislation.
Edward Loines Pemberton was a pioneering philatelist and stamp dealer who was a leading advocate of the scientific school of philately and a founding member of The Philatelic Society, London, now The Royal Philatelic Society London. Pemberton was entered on the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921 as one of the fathers of philately. He was born in New York City but educated in Britain by relatives when his parents died shortly after his birth. His son, Percival Loines Pemberton (1875-1949) was also an eminent philatelist.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Byam was a British Harley Street physician whose home in Guernsey was occupied by the Germans during the Second World War. In his spare time, Byam was a noted philatelist who was added to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1949.
John Barefoot is a British philatelist, stamp dealer, and publisher, best known for his catalogues of revenue stamps which are known collectively as the "Barefoot catalogue".