LHS offers 'History of Delaware License Plates' talk Oct. 17

Residents of most other states view the registration license tags on their cars as a mere government requirement. Not Delawareans.

Many Delaware vehicle owners long ago embraced license plate ownership as a status symbol and a connection to their past. The Lewes Historical Society’s Friday, Oct. 17 program will feature Mike Williams, chief of communications for the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, who will present “The History of Delaware License Plates.” The program at Lewes Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall in Lewes begins at 7:30 p.m.

Williams, a long-time license plate collector, will discuss the evolution off the state’s license plates and why they are so interesting to the citizens of the First State. Williams’ interest in license plates was fostered as a teenager by his grandfather, who had a modest collection of different license plates. He says, “I always had the bug for collecting, beginning with baseball cards, coins and comic books as a youth.”

In exploring this unique part of First State culture, the program will include discussion of the desirable black-and-white porcelain sets from the 1940s, the black stainless steel tags from the 1950s and the story behind the controversial font-style changes in the early 1990s.

Williams, a Delaware native, has worked for the state since 1995. He began his career as a community relations officer with the Office of Highway Safety before moving to the Delaware Department of Transportation in 1997 as media spokesperson. After serving as manager of DelDOT’s public relations office for six years, he joined the Delaware Motor Vehicle division in 2012 in his current position.

Williams was instrumental in the design and development of Delaware’s Centennial Plate Program that was recognized as the Best Plate of 2009 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. As part of his presentation, he will include a number of license plates from his private collection for attendees to examine and discuss.

The public is cordially invited to attend the presentation. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. For more information on The Lewes Historical Society go to http://www.historiclewes.org.