The basic design of the stamps has much in common with the predecessorAmericana series and the contemporaneoustransportation coils; the few elements consisting only of portrait, name, possibly occupation/notability, inscription "USA", and denomination, in a single color on a white background.[1] The range of subjects was much broader than the previousProminent Americans series orLiberty Issue. Where the predecessors focused mainly on political figures, the subjects of the Great Americans series were well-known from a number of diverse fields and ethnicities. Only two presidents were subjects of the series:Thomas Jefferson andHarry S. Truman. Balancing the diminished role of presidents was an enormous increase in the prominence of women. Sixteen appear among the Great Americans—a significant contrast to earlier definitive issues: for in the 1965–1978 Prominent Americans series, females had appeared on only two denominations, while 1902, 1922–1925, 1938 and 1954–1965[a] definitives had each presented only one woman. This was also the first definitive series to offer stamps devoted to notable Native Americans, four of whom were depicted:Red Cloud (10¢),Crazy Horse (13¢),Sequoyah (19¢) andSitting Bull (28¢).[b] African-Americans were represented by two stamps, the 20¢ denomination featuringRalph Bunche and 35¢ stamp depictingCharles Drew.
