How the Postal System Transformed Itself Between 1925–1974

From pioneering airmail to adapting in times of war, the U.S. postal system underwent a period of bold transformation between 1925 and 1974, embracing new technologies and reshaping its identity.

• 1925-1926: Congress authorized contracted airmail service, and by 1926, the first commercial airmail flight launched, ushering in a new era of fast, long-distance delivery.
• 1930s: Expansion took to the skies with trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes, connecting global communities through mail.
• 1940s – WWII Innovations:
  • Free military mail for service members became law in 1942.
  • To save space on cargo planes, V-Mail was introduced — handwritten letters photographed onto microfilm, then printed at the destination. Over 1 billion V-Mail letters were sent during the war.
  • The heroic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (the “Six Triple Eight”), an all-African American Women’s Army Corps unit, cleared a massive backlog of wartime mail with the motto: “No Mail, Low Morale.”
• 1943: The birth of the zone numbering system, a forerunner to today’s ZIP Codes, helped new employees navigate mail sorting during wartime staff shortages.
• 1963: The ZIP Code system was officially introduced, streamlining mail processing nationwide.
• Other key milestones:
  • 1957: The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee was formed to help select subjects for postage stamps.
  • 1967: The first National Postal Forum was held, launching USPS’s long-standing tradition of stakeholder engagement.
  • 1969: The crew of Apollo 11 canceled the first piece of mail on the moon — an iconic moment in postal and space history.

A Turning Point: The 1970 Strike and Reorganization

In 1970, a nationwide wildcat strike by letter carriers pushed for better wages and working conditions. This led to the landmark Postal Reorganization Act, which:

• Transformed the Post Office Department into the U.S. Postal Service — a self-sustaining hybrid that combined elements of a business with a government agency.
• Marked the biggest legislative change in U.S. postal history since the country’s founding.

The U.S. Postal Service officially launched on July 1, 1971, setting a new course for its future.