Even though University alumnus Raoul Wallenberg disappeared from public view more than 50 years ago, his face will soon resurface at post offices across the nation.
In an attempt to keep the memory of Holocaust hero Wallenberg alive, the U.S. Postal Service will honor him with a 32-cent stamp, which begins circulation April 24.
As a Swedish diplomatic in Hungary, Wallenberg saved at least 70,000 Jewish lives during World War II, and is a well-known figure at the University, where he received an Architecture degree in the 1930s.
The University will unveil the stamp in a ceremony at Rackham on April 27. Among those presiding will be President Lee Bollinger and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.).
Program Coordinator Vi Benner said the ceremony is intended to recognize Wallenberg for his courageous acts.
"He took action when no one else would," Benner said. "He is very important to the University especially considering the heroic deeds he did."
Benner said one of the presentation's goals is to raise awareness among students about the story of Wallenberg.
"Students are a necessary component to Wallenberg," Benner said.
Ann Arbor Postmaster Jim Gibbons said Wallenberg's actions show how one person can make a difference.
"He cuts across all the boundaries," Gibbons said. "He made the utmost sacrifice for others."
Wallenberg saved thousands of Jewish people from Nazi death camps by issuing false Swedish passports. Without thought to his own life, he threatened a Nazi general and prevented the bombing of a Jewish ghetto.
Gibbons said Wallenberg's bravery is a source of pride for the University.
"Wallenberg graduated from the University with honors," Gibbons said. "The honoring of Wallenberg is a humanitarian recognition of the remembrance of a hero."
Irene Butter, a former University public health professor and a Holocaust survivor, noted that in addition to this year's presentation of the stamp, the University honors Wallenberg annually through a lecture series in his name.
"The lectures chosen match the heroism and self-sacrifice of Raoul," Butter said. "But no one had a role like he did in the rescuing and hiding of the Jews."
Butter said Wallenberg is a role model for the young generation.
"We can't afford to be bystanders, to passively accept what is going on around us," Butter said. "The essence of learning about Wallenberg is to realize there are such people who can make a difference."
Wallenberg disappeared while on a trip to the former Soviet Union and was rumored to have been arrested. The whereabouts of Wallenberg's remains are still unknown.
In 1981, President Reagan approved a special act that made Wallenberg an honorary American citizen, the only person besides Winston Churchill to hold this title.