A couple of folks have written to remind me that the U.S. Postal Service made an exception to their rule that a non-president had to be dead ten years to be on a stamp. The exception they all mention was Walter Elias Disney, who passed away in 1966 and had his mug on a 6-cent stamp just two years later. But actually, Disney hasn't been the only one. In 1948, the U.S. Post Office issued a stamp to honor the "Four Chaplains" who perished in 1943 aboard the ship, The Dorchester. Here's a link to a website that will tell you the story of this stamp. And here, we have a page on the procedures involved in deciding on a stamp, including the "ten year" rule.
Harry McCracken, whose website should be of interest to anyone interested in this one, also informs me…
Then there's the only person (as far as I know) who appeared on a stamp while he was still alive — legendary circus clown Lou Jacobs, whose clown face graced a circus-themed stamp in 1966. Apparently, the fact it was in makeup justified an exception. And no, I'm not a stamp collector — I'm just fascinated by this sort of thing.
So, obviously, am I. I wonder what the thinking was behind waiving the rule for Disney. They waited ten years for Robert Kennedy. They waited eleven for Dr. Martin Luther King. But Walt had to be right away?