Page 50 - Demo

The Independent Postal System of America (IPSA) was founded by Tom Murray on February 14, 1968. It was created to deliver 3rd and 4th class mail, such as advertising, circulars, and small boxes. While this was lawful, it was not legal for them to use mailboxes. As a consequence, their carriers hung special bags containing their mail on door knobs. Murray, who had been in the hotel business in Oklahoma, wanted to create \compete with the United States Post Office Department.\franchising, IPSA had expanded to the point that it was making regular deliveries in 33 U.S. states and Canada. The company eventually had a payroll of around 18,000 employees%u2014all bonded, and attired in snappy uniforms.Privately owned businesses that deliver mail outside of an official postal service are considered local postal services, or local posts. In the United States, local posts date back to the 1840s, and they continue to operate in various parts of the world today. Aficionados of these specialized mail services (known as philopolists) belong to the Local Post Collectors' Society.Murray%u2019s IPSA went along just fine, until it decided to deliver 1st class mail%u2014specifically Christmas cards (which Murray did not consider 1st class mail). On November 30, 1971, his company issued its own postage stamps which were called reverse franchise labels, and created First Day Covers for philatelists. Additional stamps were released in 1973 and 1976. The Post Office was not pleased with IPSA delivering first-class mail, and lawsuits were filed. Although Murray eventually won, his legal costs drove him into bankruptcy, and ISPA went out of business in the late 1970s. Yet, its brief existence paved the way for post-office competitors such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Murray died in 2003.Independent Postal System of America founder Thomas Murray, right, enters a courthouse with his lawyer, Stephen Jones.