The CSA website states: “By mid-1934, a small group of serious Confederate collectors was beginning to emerge. In February 1935, Dr. Marye Y. Dabney, another enthusiastic Confederate collector and friend of August Dietz, wrote to Mr. Dietz and suggested that an organization be formed for the more intensive study of Confederates, the exchange of relevant data, and the dissemination of acquired knowledge. The name of the organization suggested by Dr. Dabney was the Confederate Stamp Alliance, a name that has continued to this day. The idea quickly caught on and Mr. Dietz welcomed each new member and conferred upon him or her the honorarv title of Colonel. In October 1948, the membership reciprocated and bestowed on him the first honorary title of General.

“By early 1937, the Confederate Stamp Alliance had so far enlisted 85 members, 81 of whom were still active members. In April 1937, the Alliance decided to issue membership numbers to the 81 active members, based on an alphabetical membership list. Thus Colonel Earl B. Antrim became CSA member number 1, Colonel Stanley B. Ashbrook became CSA member number 2, and so forth. In August of that year, the Confederate Stamp Alliance held its first national convention in Asheville, North Carolina.”

Official website: http://csalliance.org/index.htm