The Christopher Columbus Memorial Foundation was founded by “prominent members of American nations” to commemorate a “dramatic moment history of the Americas” and to develop San Salvador as a cultural centre.
An ‘Instituto de las Americas’ was established and was intended to be a seat of high learning dedicated to activities that would contribute to the knowledge of American governmental and business relations, history, geography, language, literature and the arts.
The dedication ceremony was held on Sunday, 12 October 1965.
Commemorative Covers
Guests arrived at San Salvador on the Grace Line‘s S.S. Santa Paula on 12 October 1965 at 9.30 a.m. and departed for New York at 3.00 p.m.
The Grace Line provided guests aboard the Santa Paula with First Day Covers and stationery to commemorate the dedication ceremony. Guests were required to hand the covers into the purser’s office or handed to a Grace Line member of staff prior to noon on 12 October1965 to receive the postmark.
References
- Columbus Memorial Festival on San Salvador Island. Programs (Programmes), 1965. https://jstor.org/stable/community.28156981.