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                                    the Purdue Airport for distribution via Air Mail throughout the county.On the morning of Operation Jupiter, Arthur E. Summerfield, the United States Postmaster General, (along with several associates) left Washington, DC in an Air Force Convair Executive plane that landed at Halsmer Airport a half-hour before noon. The group was met by a number of Lafayette dignitaries, including Postmaster Albert E. Pyke. All were led into town by a police motorcycle escort to a celebratory luncheon. At 1:30 p.m., a parade with the theme %u201cHistory of Mail Transportation%u201d began, and proceeded down a pre-planned route through downtown Lafayette. It included footmen, horseback carriers, horse-and-buggy carriers, mailmen%u2019s bicycles, antique postal cars and trucks, as well as newer postal vehicles. In total, there were 50 entries including two floats, plus Culver Military Academy%u2019s 98-piece marching band.Starting at Tenth and Main Streets, the procession made its way down Main toward the Post Office, which it circled. Eventually, it crossed the Wabash River to the balloon ascension grounds just north of West Lafayette%u2019s Brown Street Levee. There, a crowd of people gathered in eager expectation to witness the promised reenactment of Professor Wise%u2019s 1859 flight.That evening, there was a 5 o%u2019clock reception at the Lafayette Country Club for all the dignitaries. This was followed by a banquet in Purdue%u2019s Union Building attended by 700 people who paid $5 a ticket to attend. During the festivities, a Girl Scout color guard led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Summerfield delivered the main address. Afterward, he presented souvenir albums to several distinguished citizens. Among other mementoes, each contained a sheet of the new Jupiter anniversary stamps bearing his autograph.Amusingly from today%u2019s perspective, two months before his visit to Lafayette, Postmaster General Summerfield had acquired a bit of notoriety by banning what he determined were obscene books from the U.S. mails. Among the blacklisted titles was Lady Chatterley%u2019s Lover. His arbiThe evolution of the Balloon Jupiter stamp. At left, is Austin Briggs%u2019 preliminary design. In the center, is a model rendered in black-and-white, with the words FIRST FLIGHT, that was not used. And at right, is the final design
                                
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