WASHINGTON (WJRT) – The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its current organization separate from the federal government.
The former U.S. Post Office Department switched to the U.S. Postal Service on July 1, 1971. The agency had been a cabinet level department in the executive branch like the Defense Department or Agriculture Department, but now is independent.
“In the more than two centuries since Benjamin Franklin was appointed our first Postmaster General in 1775, the Postal Service has grown and changed with America, boldly embracing new technologies to better serve a growing population,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy.
The postal service’s accomplishments over the past 50 years include the addition of four digits after zip codes in 1983, launching a website in 1994, the introduction of Forever Stamps in 2007 and the Informed Delivery system in 2017.
The postal service has a 10-year plan to restore financial stability and introduce new services.
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