Charles Lathrop Pack a third-generation timberman, was "one of the five wealthiest men in America prior to World War I". He owed his good start in life to the success of his father, George Willis Pack

George Willis Pack

George Willis Pack was a second-generation timberman in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. His father, George Pack had established two sawmills outside of Lexington, Michigan, in a place known as Pack's Mills. After years of working with his father, in 1860 George Willis Pack, together with John L...

, and grandfather, George Pack

George Pack

George Pack, Jr. was a businessman, landowner, sawmill operator, and postmaster in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The town of Pack's Mills of which he was also postmaster, was named after him.Pack had moved to Michigan from upstate New York in 1848...

 in the forestry sector. Growing up on Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

 in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Charles L. Pack lived in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

, from 1871 to the early years of the 20th century. With "savvy investments ... in southern timber ... banking and real estate", Pack became a multi-millionaire.

Philatelist

Pack was a world famous philatelist

Philately

Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...

, recognized for his award winning collections of postage stamp

Postage stamp

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...

s.

Collecting interests

Pack was noted for his collections of postage stamps of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Uruguay

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 and Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. He was especially noted for his plating of early stamps of Brazil.

Philatelic literature

Pack’s collection of postage stamps of Victoria

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 led to his publication in 1923 of his famous book Victoria: the Half-length Portraits and the Twopence Queen Enthroned.

Honors and awards

Pack received worldwide recognition and numerous awards. He signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists

Roll of Distinguished Philatelists

The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists is a philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921...

 in 1921. He was the first American to receive the Crawford Medal

Crawford Medal

The Crawford Medal is a vermeil medal awarded by the Royal Philatelic Society London for the most valuable and original contribution to the study and knowledge of philately published in book form during the relevant period....

 in 1923 from the Royal Philatelic Society London. He was also the first American to receive the Lindenberg Medal

Lindenberg Medal

The Lindenberg Medal is an award given to those who provide “conspicuous service to philately” because of their investigations and contributions to philatelic literature.It is considered by some as the Nobel Prize of Philately.- Origin :...

 in 1926 from the Berliner Philatelisten-Klub

Berliner Philatelisten-Klub

Berliner Philatelisten-Klub von 1888 eV – also known as the Berlin Philatelic Club -- is one of the oldest and most respected philatelic societies in the world, founded in 1888.-Location:...

 and the first person to receive the Award of Merit from the Collectors Club of New York

Collectors Club of New York

The Collectors Club of New York, often referred to as the Collectors Club, is a private club and philatelic society in New York City. Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest existing philatelic societies in the United States...

. Pack is named in the American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame

American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame

The American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame award honors deceased philatelists who have contributed significantly to the field of national and/or international philately.-History:...

 for 1941.

Philanthropy

According to his biographer, Alexandra Eyle, Charles Lathrop Pack "spent $2.8 million on forestry conservation. This is a low figure, however..."

End of Life

Pack's remains were buried "under a stand of white pine in the Charles Lathrop Pack Demonstration Forest in Warrensburg, New York

Warrensburg (town), New York

Warrensburg is a town in Warren County, New York, USA. It is centrally located in the county, west of Lake George. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 4,255 at the 2000 census. Like the county, the town is named after General Joseph Warren. U.S....

, in 1937... a site of his own choosing".

External links