‘Mike the Mailman’ delivers memoir about career at Penn State campus post office
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mike the Mailman and daughter publish memoir on his 48-year Penn State career
- Book traces memories, adversity and a campus ethos of kindness and service
- Herr stays active as Lion Ambassador, attends games and other local events
Mike Herr spends his retirement days playing tennis and poker, tending to his landscaping or sitting on his front porch, attending Penn State sports events and spending time with his family. But even after nearly 10 years of retirement, he’s still fondly known as “Mike the Mailman” to the Penn State community.
Herr and his daughter Marykate Herr Weeks recently published a memoir about Herr’s 48 years as the cheerful mailman at the post office on Penn State’s University Park campus and eventual status as a Penn State icon. In “Pushing the Envelope,” they revisit some of Herr’s favorite memories, painful times and encourage spreading kindness everywhere.
Herr and Herr Weeks frequently talked about writing a book and threw around different ideas over the years, but it wasn’t until about a year or so ago that it really started.
“I thought it would be really important to ground people on, like, where he came from and what his upbringing was like, and then really address the things that he became ... iconic about, like, knowing all the ZIP codes, or the nice sneakers, or all of the customized stamps, like, where did all of this start?” Herr Weeks said.
Over the past year or two, the two carved out time to have hourlong interviews where Herr Weeks asked questions about his time at the post office. It was a cool experience, she said, because she got to learn and hear about things her dad did that she probably wouldn’t have heard from when she was younger, while he was still working.
“We just tried to piece it together. ... The last six months, really hone in on what we wanted the story to be, which is the backstory of how dad got to the post office, and how he sort of bloomed where he was planted on University Park,” she said. “And just the underlying message of, not just in his career, but there’s a kindness that should be shared and spread whenever you can. And I think he’s a perfect person to sort of share that at this time.”
‘Real-life’ moments from Penn State career
Reading their book for the first time was emotional, Herr said, and he was impressed with how nicely it all came together. Plus, working with his daughter, who lives in the Philadelphia area, was a fun experience.
With nine chapters, the book could have been longer with the amount of stories and memories Herr has of his time at the post office, but it contains exactly what he wanted to share. One chapter talks about some friction points during his career and personal life, which Herr Weeks thought was a little more difficult to revisit.
The post office on campus had a lot of Penn State sports signs and other non-postal signs, Herr said, and it was reported to a new postmaster in downtown State College. They took all the signs down.
A day later, Herr said a young man came in and noticed the signs were gone. When he learned what happened, he said, “this can’t happen,” Herr recalled. That’s when the “Great Rally of 2000” happened.
“He organized a rally. Had a bullhorn, and it was in January or February. They marched from the University Park post office, down to the one on Fraser Street. The Centre Daily Times, the TV stations, everyone and their brother was there,” Herr said.
Shortly thereafter, the signs went back up and things returned to “normal.”
Other more personal difficulties, like when Herr was hit by a car while riding his bike to work, are written about as well. Overall, the memoir is humorous and optimistic, but they wanted to include some harder, “real life” moments as well.
“It’s important to just not highlight all the good things and include some of the more trying times, both physically in recovery from being hit by a car, and sort of emotionally and mentally in recovery, when you don’t have the support from like, the postmaster, when you feel like you’ve connected on a higher level with your clientele because of what you’ve chosen to decorate your office in,” Herr Weeks said.
One of their favorite parts of the book is the final chapter, which asks the reader to think of someone they want to thank. On the back cover of the book is a postcard, which the reader is encouraged to cut out and send to someone to give them gratitude.
Herr Weeks said it falls in line with everything that “Mike the Mailman” is known for.
Connections worldwide through ‘Mike the Mailman’
Herr said he never really worked for the post office. He was employed by them but the word “work” never entered his mind, he said. He had fun with his customers and enjoyed making connections with people.
He’s well known in State College and, well, everywhere. Herr Weeks said they’ll travel outside of Pennsylvania or even the country and there will be someone that recognizes him and says hi.
“I got a letter yesterday from a guy in Colorado,” Herr said. “He said, ‘Mike the Mailman, it’s been 30 years since I saw you last. I just want to tell you how much of an impact you had on my life.’ Out of the clear blue.”
Herr Weeks recalled one Penn State football game they went to, where someone recognized “Mike the Mailman” and asked to take a photo with him. Herr Weeks took the photo and the man next to her asked her, “do you know how lucky you are?”
She rolled her eyes, thinking the man was just going to say something along the lines of “Your dad is Mike the Mailman!” But instead, he went another route, which they also included in the book.
“It’s the fact that normally, which I think is unfortunate, you don’t really get to hear about the impact somebody you care about has on other people’s lives until it’s too late. It’s at a memorial, or a celebration of life. And he said, like, ‘It’s so special that you guys get to hear about them and talk about them in real time.’ So I thought that was a cool way to look at all these people who have such fun memories with dad,” she said.
Post-retirement, Herr has remained engaged with the Penn State community as an honorary Lion Ambassador, with Homecoming activities, attending just about every sport event and more.
He doesn’t plan on leaving Happy Valley.
“It’s a beautiful area. And a lot of alumni come back, and it’s fun seeing a lot of alumni. And actually, when I go to a football game, I usually take my bike. I’m always invited to so many tailgates. People are so happy to see me,” Herr said. “And once again, people will share a memory out of the blue, (and) you faintly remember that you did something like that. But it’s heartwarming, it’s cool.”
What’s a piece of advice that Mike the Mailman would give to college students today? It’s simple: Relax.
“I just sense that kids, students don’t seem to want to relax. They don’t relax. I mean, it’s a bang, bang, bang, world. I understand that, but you got to take time just to chill out.”
He continued: “And have fun. I’m hoping they’re having fun too, because this is the best time of their life.”
“Pushing the Envelope: A Memoir by Mike ‘the Mailman’ Herr as told to Marykate Herr Weeks” can be purchased at mikethemailmanbook.com. Follow Herr on Facebook, facebook.com/mikethemailman16802 to learn more about upcoming book signing events.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 2:48 PM.
