A Short History of RMS

The Rathkamp Matchcover Society had its beginning in May, 1939, although it was not formally conceived until September, 1941. In May of 1939, a group of enthusiastic matchcover collectors got together in New York to go to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to pick up Navy ship covers and also visit the World's Fair to see what covers it might have.

Since this meeting was such a great success, it was decided that it would be a good idea if they got together once a year. This resulted in a "convention" held at the home of Henry Rathkamp in Newport, Rhode Island, in September of 1939. Plans were laid for a second "convention" to be held in May of 1940.

Unfortunately, Henry Rathkamp died in the spring of 1940, but the "convention" was still held in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, at the home of another collector. It was at this second "convention" that plans were made to organize a club the following year. During the week of September 11, 1941, at the home of Ken Riggs in Pocasset, Massachusetts, 45 collectors from 8 states and the District of Columbia met and formed the Rathkamp Memorial Society of Matchcover Collectors. In later years, the name was shortened to the Rathkamp Matchcover Society. It has grown today to more than 1000 members from every state in the union, plus Canada and more than 8 foreign countries. Today, it is the largest phillumenic organization in North America and the largest in the world that focuses primarily on matchcovers, rather than boxes or labels. It's also the world's oldest phillumenic organization.

Our Current Officers and Staff

  • President: Shirley Sayers, 1290 Corporation St., Beaver, PA 15009
  • 1st V.P: Bill Gigantino, 197 Bradley Ave., Hamden, CT 06514
  • 2nd V.P: Wally Mains, 105 Roger Lane, Florence, KY 41042-2334
  • Secretary: Charles Specht, 2306 Belmore Dr., Champaign, IL 61821
  • Membership/Treas: Terry Rowe, 1509 S. Dugan Rd., Urbana, OH 43078-9209
  • Editor: Mike Prero, 12659 Eckard Way, Auburn, CA 95603
  • RMS Librarian: John Williams, 910 Howard Ln., Vandalia, OH 453-77-1866
  • RMS Historian: Grant Gehringer, 4761 Parkman Ct., Annandale, VA 22003-5046
  • Publicity Chairpersons: Joe DeGennaro, 309 E. 87th Ave., #6E, NYC, NY 10128-6774 and Ellen Gutting, 824 Peachy Canyon Circ., #101, Las Vegas,NV 89144-0907

Honoring Our Pioneers, Past and Present

 RMS PRESIDENTS

 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
 OUTSTANDING COLLECTOR
OF YEAR
Robert A. Lockard (1941-1944)
Dr. Charles J. Higgs (1944-1946)
Frank Ryan (1946-1949)
Kenneth Riggs (1949-1950)
Alfred Policke (1950-1952)
Edgar A. Perkins (1952-1953)
J. Marty Deer (1953-1954)
Herbert Spell (1954-1955)
Robert F. Oliver (1955-1956)
Edith Cooper (1956-1957)
Charles N. Reed (1957-1958)
Walter A. Mensch (1958-1959)
C. Warren Delk (1959-1961)
Harry H. Gerson (1961-1962)
Donald J. DeGunia (1962-1965)
Joy Atten (1965-1967)
John L. Woods (1967-1970)
Evelyn Hovious (1970-1972)
H. Russell Fink (1972-1974)
Clem A. Pater III (1974-1976)
John Williams (1976-1978)
Walter Hoffman (1978-1980)
Bill Hollmann (1980-1982)
Wray Martin (1982-1984)
Stella Williams (1984-1986)
Emily Hiller (1986-1988)
Joe DeGennaro (1988-1990)
Art Houser (1990-1992)
George Bruckman (1992-1994)
Larry Ziegler (1994-1996)
Linda Clavette (1996-2000)
Bob Borton (2000-2002)
Charles Specht (2002-2004)
Morris Pasternak (2004-2006)
Grant Gehringer (2006-2008)
Shirley Sayers (2008-2010)
1982..........Austin Benner
1982..........H. Russell Fink
1982..........Isabel Lord
1982.........."Duke" Rohrer
1983..........Ernestine Abbott
1983..........Al Policke
1984..........Edgar A. Perkins
1984..........Frank Ryan
1985..........Walt Mensch
1985..........Joe Siebeto
1986..........Ward Chase
1986..........Tom Torrent
1987..........Harry Gerson
1987..........Bob Lockard
1988..........Barney Gallagher
1988..........Sam Schroeder
1989..........Marty Deer
1989..........Art Eichenlaub
1990.........."Doc" Higgs
1990.........."Herb" Spell
1991..........Evelyn Hovious
1991..........Bob Oliver
1992..........Ralph Arnold
1992..........Wray Martin
1993..........Ruth Richmond
1993..........John Williams
1994..........Alma Adams
1994..........Bill Hollmann
1995..........George Loveless
1995..........Edith Cooper
1995..........Clem Pater III
1996..........Bill Thomas
1996..........Paul Moyer
1997..........Loren Ross
1998..........Stella Williams
1998..........C. Warren Delk
1999..........Win Lang
2000..........Jo Wilding
2000..........Mel Reese
2001..........Ray Yeingst
2001..........John Woods
2002..........Bud Shappell
2002..........Linda Clavette
2003..........Joe DeGennaro
2003..........Art Houser
2004..........Emily Hiller
2004..........Larry Ziegler
2005..........Larry Kozak
2005..........Stuart Bergman
2006..........Carol Stone
2006..........Neal Hospers
2007..........Walter Hoffman
2007..........Clarence Ginder
2008..........Wayne Eadie
2008..........Bob Borton
1946............Horace Rush
1947............Paul Schaeffer
1948............Frank Ryan
1949............Sam Rosen
1950............Louise & John Andrews
1951............Edgar Perkins
1952............Blanche Kelly
1953............Dr. Charles Higgs
1954............Robert Oliver
1955............Herbert Spell
1956............Alfred Policke
1957............Edith Cooper
1958............H. Russell Fink
1959............Ernestine Abbott
1960............Charles Reed
1961............Warren Delk
1962............Harry Gerson
1963............Don DeGunia
1964............Evelyn Hovious
1965............Pat Griffiths
1966............Loraine Runion
1967............Sam Schroeder
1968............Charlotte Hoffman
1969............Henri Bernard
1970............James Moffett, Jr
1971............Bernard "Duke" Rohrer
1972............Clem Pater III
1973............Evelyn MacGregor
1974............Walter Hoffman
1975............Muriel Bradbury
1976............Bill Hollmann
1977............Bill Hubbard
1978............Bill Furlong
1979............Wray Martin
1980............Alma Adams
1981............Emily Hiller
1982............Bill Thomas
1983............Ruth Richmond
1984............Dean Hodgdon
1985............Bob Hiller
1986............John Williams
1987............Dan Bitter
1988............Bill Morrison
1989............Stuart Bergman
1990............Stella Williams
1991............Art Houser
1992............Betty Streusand
1993............Seymour Shedlow
1994............Linda Clavette
1995............Joe DeGennaro
1996............Larry Ziegler
1997............Morris Pasternak
1998............Bud Shappell
1999............Ellen Gutting
2000............Mary Anne Pertuis
2001............Wayne Eadie
2002............Bob Borton
2003............Carol Stone
2004............Grant Gehringer
2005............Charles Specht
2006............Mike Prero
2007............John Woods
2008............Marc Edelman

RMS Area Award Recipients

[Note: RMS sends out the annual awards to the clubs in August , but most clubs don't actually give the award out until the following year. The dates shown here are the dates of the award, not the awarding. Thus, for example, since Marilyn Reese received the 2001 RMS Area Award from Denver Strikers MC in 2002, it's shown under "2001"]

1983   

1984   

1985  
  Empire MC - Marie Harbison  
Berks County MC - Jane Ruffner
Liberty Bell MC  - B. Rathfon

1986  

1987   

1988  
Berks County MC - L. Schlegel
Empire MC - Steven Gilbert
Liberty Bell MC - Steven Gilbert
Penn-Ohio MC - Glenn Lewis
Sierra-Diablo MC - Kathy Bitter
Badger State MC - Alma Adams
Berks County MC - S. Gilbert
Empire MC - Steven Gilbert
Garden State - Marie Harbison
Liberty Bell MC - Jack Quiring
Sierra-Diablo MC - Mike Prero
Badger State MC - Alma Adams
Berks County MC - Jane Ruffner
Penn-Ohio MC - Jean Christenson
Wendy CityMC - Alma Adams

1989   

1990   

1991  
Berks County MC -A.Smolewicz
Forest City MC - Ellen Gutting
Liberty Bell MC - D. Hagerman
Penn-Ohio MC - Glenn Lewis
Tri-State MC - Ellen Gutting
Berks County MC - Floyd Shade
Keystone-Lehigh MC - E.Gutting
Liberty Bell MC - Steven Gilbert
Penn-Ohio MC - Rich Sayers
AMCAL - Ellen Gutting
Berks County MC - Jane Ruffner
Liberty Bell MC - Steven Gilbert
Penn-Ohio MC - Shirley Sayers

1992   

1993   

1994   
AMCAL - Bob Borton
Berks County MC - Bill Jabs
Liberty Bell MC - George Winter
Penn-Ohio MC - J. Christenson
Sierra-Diablo MC - Mike Prero
Berks County MC - B. Stephen
Liberty Bell MC - Ellen Gutting
Penn-Ohio MC - Rich Sayers
RMS Convention - Fred Latimer
Sierra-Diablo MC - B. Dunseath
Berks County MC -  J. Stephen
Forest City MC: Fred DeFrancesco
Liberty Bell MC - George Winter
Penn-Ohio MC - Glenn Lewis
San Diego MC - Ed Brassard

1995 

1996   

1997  
Berks County MC - L. Stephen
IMC - Neal Hospers
Liberty Bell MC - George Winter
Penn-Ohio MC - Cookie Lewis
San Diego MC - Wally Wade
Tri-State MC - Paul Spoff 
Berks County MC - L. Schlegel
Keystone-Lehigh MC -R.Greene
Liberty Bell MC - Rich Greene
Lone Star MC - Jo Wilding 
Penn-Ohio MC - Glenn Lewis
RMS Convention - Lyle Smith
San Diego MC - Ruth Kirkpatrick
Sierra-Diablo MC -Loren Moore

 
AMCAL - Ellen Gutting
Angelus MC - Greg Lund
Badger State MC - Annie Johnson
Berks County MC - Betty Jabs
Denver Strikers MC - B. Thomas
Forest City MC - Doris Morely
Garden State MC - Ellen Gutting
Keystone-Lehigh MC - G. Winter
Liberty Bell MC - George Winter
MARVA - William Krafthofer
Penn-Ohio MC - Rich Sayers
PNMCC - Richard Lauck
RMS Convention - Bud Shappell
San Diego MC - Doug Fouquet
Sierra-Diablo MC - W. Marshall
UES - Stella Williams

1998   

1999   

2000  
AMCAL - Dick Hagerman
Angelus MC - Beth Denes
Badger State MC - A. Johnson
Berks County MC - J. Loveless
Empire MC - Wayne Eadie
Forest City MC - Larry Kozak
Keystone-Lehigh-B.Longenecker
Liberty Bell MC - M. Harbison
Penn-Ohio MC - Rich Sayers
RMS Convention - Tom Gray
San Diego MC - Mary Holman
Sierra-Diablo MC - Pete Varvis
Trans Canada MC - Stan Tombs
UES - Dave MacNally

 
AMCAL - Cindy Sayler
Berks County MC - T. Stephen
Denver Strikers MC-G.Bergman
Forest City MC - Stella Williams
Great Lakes MC - D. Alliegro
IMC - Wayne Eadie
Keystone-Lehigh MC -J.Ruffner
Liberty Bell MC - Mike Beatrice
Lone Star MC - Jo Wilding
New Endland MC - Jack Barnes
Northern Lites MC:M.Pasternak
Penn-Ohio MC - Glenn Lewis
RMS Convention - J. DeGennaro
San Diego MC - Jack McKittrick
Sierra-Diablo MC -Loren Moore
Southeastern MC - Fred Houk
UES - Wray Martin
Windy City MC - Annie Johnson
AMCAL - Bob Hiller
Angelus MC - S. & Nancy Bailey
Badger State MC - Mel Reese
Berks County MC - Floyd Shade
Denver Strikers MC - Gail Schultz
Empire MC - Bob Franz
Forest City MC - Ed Skrocki
Keystone-Lehigh -B. Longenecker
Liberty Bell MC - D. Longenecker
Lone Star MC - Mike Prero
New England MC - Joyce Moyer
Penn-Ohio MC - Shirley Sayers
RMS Convention - Pat Shappell
San Diego MC - Vivian Bolton
Sierra-Diablo MC - Mike Prero
Southeastern MC - G. Heffernon
Trans Canada MC - M. Pasternak
UES - Glenn Lewis
Windy City MC - Bob Cigrang

2001  

2002 

2003 
AMCAL - Loren Ross
Angelus MC - Beth Denes
Badger State MC - Alma Adams
Berks County MC - T. Stephen
Connecticut MC - Doris Arrigoni
Denver Strikers MC - M. Reese
Empire MC - Jane Ruffner
Keystone-Lehigh MC - J.Ruffner
Liberty Bell - B& D Longenecker
Lone Star MC - E. Finkelstein
New Moon MLC - G. Gehringer
Penn-Ohio MC- Glenn Lewis
RMS Convention - Terry Rowe
San Diego MC - Betty Dunseath
Sierra-Diablo MC -Loren Moore
Trans Canada MC - Jerry Craig
Tri-State MC - Bob Borton
Windy City MC - Annie Johnson

 
Angelus MC - Mike Shapiro
Badger State MC - C. Bressler
Berks County MC - Pat Shappell
Connecticut MC - Carol Stone
Empire MC - Wayne Eadie
Forest City MC - R. & D. Fry
Garden State MC -W.Miskavage
Girlie MC - Lee Nott
Great Lakes MC - G. Andersen
Liberty Bell MC - Rich Greene
MARVA MC: - Grant Gehringer
New Moon MC - Grant Gehringer
Penn-Ohio MC - Carry van Tol
Rocky Mountain - R. Giardini
San Diego MC - Ted Harding
Sierra-Diablo MC - Jeff Davis
Southeastern MC - Brian Mason
Southern Swapfest - Carol Stone
Trans Canada MC - Wray Martin
Tri-State MC - Paula Borton
UES - Marc Edelman
Windy City MC - R. Farrington
AMCAL - Steve Rohrer
Angelus MC - Vivian Bolton
Badger MC - Charlie Bressler
Berks County MC - Homer Herb
Connecticut MC - Joyce Moyer
Denver Strikers - B. MacKenzie
Empire MC - Carolyn Mantz
Forest City MC - Jim Harpster
Girlie MC - Jim Benes
Liberty Bell - Kathie Williman
Long Beach MC - Ellen Gutting
MARVA MC: - Greg Lund
New England MC - R. S. Bush
New Moon LMC - T. Messmer
Penn-Ohio MC - Nora van Tol
RMS Convention - Jimmie Close
San Diego MC - Liz Stanton
Sierra-Diablo MC - Peggy Leslie
Southeastern MC - John Clark
Southern Swapfest - Larry Stone
Trans Canada MC - C. Ziegler
Tri-State MC - Pat Mains
UES - Wray Martin
Windy City MC - Annie Johnson

2004 

 2005

 2006
Angelus - Richard Luey
Badger State MC - Alma Adams
Connecticut MC - Robert Lamb
Denver Strikers - Marilyn Reese
Forest City - Caroll Mazur
Girlie MC - Marc Edelman
Great Lakes MC - Steve Bailey
Liberty Bell MC - Rich Greene
MARVA - Mike Samuels
Penn-Ohio MC - Richard Sayers
RMS Convention - Joe Burnett
San Diego MC - Tom Buchanan
Southeastern MC - F. Denzler
Trans Canada MC -M. Kotsonas
UES - Shirley Sayers
Windy City MC - Bob Cigrang
Angelus MC - Dwain Crum
Badger State - Charles Bressler
Connecticut MC - Robert Lamb
Denver Strikers MC - E. Gutting
Empire MC - Rich Greene
Forest City MC - Irene Kozak
Girlie MC - Ron Barksdale
Huggable Bears MC - Carol Stone
Keystone-Lehigh MC - J. Ruffner
Lone Star MC - La Juan Melendy
MARVA: Glen & Martha Bernstein
New England MC - Barbara Snyder
Penn-Ohio MC - Shirley Sayers
RMS Conv. - Great Lakes MC
Sierra-Diablo MC - JackBenbrook
Southern Swapfest: D. Longenecker
Southeastern MC - Jimmie Close
Trans Canada MC - Bob Reed
Windy City MC - Bob Cigrang
AMCAL: Ellen Gutting
Angelus MC: Jim Hall & Smokey
Badger State MC: Alma Adams
Berks County MC: Eric Quimby
Casino Club: D. Hagerman/E. Gutting
Connecticut MC: Larry Stone
Forest City MC: Carry Van Tol
Great Lakes MC: Ralph Maier
Huggable Bears MC: Lynne Martin
Liberty Bell MC: Marc Edelman
MARVA - Barbara Meyers
New England MC - Carol Rogers
New Moon MLC: Clem Pater
Penn-Ohio MC - Ted Kijanka
RMS Convention - G&B Hofacker
San Diego MC - Kevin Fleming
Southeastern MC - Janet Penny
Tobacco Club - Shirley Sayers
Trans Canada MC - George Gyokery
Windy City MC - Charlie Bressler

 2007

   2008
  
AMCAL - Ellen Gutting
Angelus MC - Georgia Christoffersen
Badger State MC - Jerome Trendel
D.Hagerman/E.Gutting
Denver Strikers MC - Carol Ziegler
Forest City MC - Ken Munyon
Huggable Bears MC - Carol Ziegler
Liberty Bell MC - Rich Greene
New England MC - Bob Bush
New Moon MLC - Chuck Cummings
Phillu-Quebec MC - Pierre Dorval
RMS Convention - Stella Williams
San Diego - George Cosentini
Southern Ontario MC-Wilf Chapman
Tobacco MC: Shirley Sayers
Tri-State MC - Bob Zack
Trans Canada - Harry Tranker
UES - Marc Edelman
Windy City - Bob Cigrang
Casino Club - Penny Smith
Denver Strikers MC - Ellen Gutting
RMS Convention - Bill Gigantino
 

RMS Bulletin Editors

Ed Perkins, 1941-1944 (sec)
Horace Rush, 1944-1950 (sec)
Dorothy Fiorello, 1950-1951 (sec)
Horace Rush, 1951-1951 (sec)
Forney Sprenkle, 1951-1954 (sec)
Ed Perkins/H Rush, 1954-1955
Walt Mensch, 1955-1957
Ernestine Abbott, 1957-1973
Frank Gosztyla, 1973-1984
Bill Hollmann, 1984-1988
Bill Retskin, -1988-1994
Mike Prero, 1994-present

Past RMS Convention Sites

1939-Newport, RI
1940-Ardmore, PA
1941-Pocasset, MA
1942-Wilkes-Barre, PA
1943-none held
1944-Asbury Park, NJ
1945-none held
1946-Asbury Park, NJ
1947-Asbury Park, NJ
1948-Cleveland, OH
1949-Washington, DC
1950-Boston, MA
1951-Asbury Park, NJ
1952-Wilkes-Barre, PA
1953-Richmond, VA
1954-Indianapolis, IN
1955-Los Angeles, CA
1956-New York, NY
1957-Wilkes-Barre, PA
1958-San Francisco, CA
1959-Miami Beach, FL
1960-Boston, MA
1961-Des Moines, IA
1962-Allentown, PA
1963-Detroit, MI
1964-Pasadena, CA
1965-London,Ont, CAN
1966-Allentown, PA
1967-Long Beach, CA
1968-Cleveland, OH
1969-Las Vegas, NV
1970-Boston, MA
1971-San Diego, CA
1972-Montreal, Que.
1973-Des Moines, IA
1974-Cleveland, OH
1975-Fort Worth, TX
1976-Allentown, PA
1977-Southfield, MI
1978-Fullerton, CA
1979-Milwaukee, WI
1980-Hartford, CT
1981-Cincinnati, OH
1982-New Orleans, LA
1983-Cleremont, CA
1984-St. Louis, MO
1985-Hamilton, Ont.
1986-Allentown, PA
1987-Denver, CO
1988-Cincinnati, OH
1989-Chicago, IL
1990-Springfield, MA
1991-Cleveland, OH
1992-Philadelphia, PA
1993-Kitchener, Ont.
1994-Cincinnati, OH
1995-Elizabeth, NJ
1996-Houston, TX
1997-Quebec, CAN
1998-Moline, IL
1999-Pittsburgh, PA
2000-Lowell, MA
2001-Indian Wells, CA
2002-Cherry Hill, NJ
2003-Cincinnati, OH
2004-Toronto, CAN
2005-Enfield, CT
2006-Sandusky, OH

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