About This Stamp
A 22-cent commemorative stamp focusing attention on the 10th Pan American Games was issued on January 29, 1987, in Indianapolis and was available nationwide on next day. The games took place August 7–25 at 23 sites throughout the state of Indiana, with most of the events occurring in Indianapolis.
Lon Busch of St. Louis, Missouri, designed the Pan American Games stamp. It features stylized representation of a sprinter composed of various geometric shapes. The runner's image is repeated in successively fainter shades from right to left.
Over 6,500 athletes and officials from 38 nations took part in the 10th Pan American Games. The Mexican delegation to the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games conceived the idea of a quadrennial sports festival for western hemisphere nations. Planning was delayed until after World War II, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted the first Pan American Games in 1951.
The Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) coordinates the games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) supports PASO, which was formed to develop friendship through amateur sports in the Americas by following the Olympic ideal and rules established by the IOC. The Pan American Games are held every four years, one year before the Olympic Games.
The stamps were printed in the photogravure process and issued in panes of 50.