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| In the early 1960s, the U.S. Post Office was in trouble. They had devised a new scheme for the efficient delivery of mail, but this system relied on postal customers adding an unfamiliar 5-digit number to each address. And maybe you think it's no big deal to get millions of correspondents to write an extra string of numbers on every envelope, but the ZIPCode was introduced in an era rife with fear that progress would soon reduce us all to impersonal numbers, and this was looking to be one tough sale. Most Americans didn't want to become just a number in the U.S. Postal System when ZIPCodes were introduced to help streamline the mail service. |
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Enter Mr. Zip, the wide-eyed mascot of
postal efficiency. So to the rescue comes a dashing figure in blue, Mr.
Zip, delivering his mail in rain or hail, to the tune of "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah"
sung by Ethel Merman. Mr. Zip's charming delivery of the new zip code
campaign changed the way America mails its letters, and made zip codes a
household name. He was retired in 1980 when the Zip+4 campaign was
introduced, but his illustrious career in public service will be long
remembered.
Mr. Zip was arguably one of the greatest salesmen in history. With this friendly public servant presenting the ZIPCode, the new program was a stunning success - so much so that today there is greater than 95% compliance with the ZIPCode Program. |
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| More useful ZIP Code
links:
ZIP Code database tables for importing into Microsoft Access, Excel, Paradox, Oracle, etc. - www.buyzips.com The ZIP Code Companion software for MS Windows. A convenient tool for looking up ZIP Codes - www.pc-shareware.com/zipcode.htm ZIP Code Distance Wizard - Quickly finds proximate ZIP Codes. Enter a ZIP Code, a distance, and the Wizard will list all of the neighboring ZIP Codes within that radius distance. Then export the list to CSV or Windows Clipboard. USPS ZIP + 4 lookup - www.usps.com/zip4 |
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Copyright 2001 by PC Shareware, Inc.