THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD HEROIC SERVICE MEDAL

Paul Moller writes:

Decision to award medals to employes of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who perform unusual acts of heroism in connection with their regular duties, or while on the Company'sproperty, was announced July I, 1923, by G. L. Peck, Vice President in Charge of Personnel, following authorization by the Company's Board of Directors.

The motive of the Directors in establishing the award was to accord proper public recognition to those who, in connection with the discharge of duty, perform extraordinaryservice in the protection of life or property at the risk of their own safety or even of their lives.

Referring to the purposes of the Directors in authorizing the award of medals for heroic service, Mr. Peck said:

"Notwithstanding the provisions of mechanical safeguards, the nature of railroading itself is such that opportunities to protect life, limb and property occur in theordinary course of a day's work, and Pennsylvania Railroad men have never been found wanting in the performance of their duties in this respect.

"The record of the Pennsylvania Railroad in protecting the life and property of its passengers, shippers and employes is an achievement of which the management is justlyproud. It is a tribute to the zeal and fidelity of Pennsylvania employes."

Recommendations for the award of Heroic Service Medals are made by employing officers to a special committee which, in turn, investigates the merits of each case and then makesa recommendation to the Board of Directors. All officers and employes are requested to report any act of heroism which they believe merits consideration by the specialcommittee.

Henry M. Crossman, of East Aurora, N. Y., a machinist in the Ebenezer shop, Buffalo division, is the father of the Pennsylvania Railroad medal for heroic service. It was fromMr. Crossman's suggestion that the plan of awarding medals, as finally authorized by the Board of Directors, was developed.

A general notice to all employes of the Central Region was issued in November, 1921, by Vice President J. A. McCrea, now dead, officially commending an outstanding act ofheroism performed by a crossing watchman in saving a little girl from being run over by a passenger train. After reading this notice, Mr. Crossman wrote to Mr. McCrea andsuggested that medals of appropriate design be awarded in the future, in cases similar to the one described in the general notice. He also suggested that presentation of a medalsuch as he had in mind should be made in a formal ceremony.

Mr. McCrea recognized the merit of the general plan as outlined by Mr. Crossman and he later submitted a recommendation to the Board of Directors. The plan was favorablyreceived and the award of medals for heroic service was formally authorized after a detailed program of procedure had been worked out and an appropriate design for a medaldeveloped.

Awards of the medals have thus far been made on two occasions. The more recent was February 10, 1926, when twenty-four were presented. The first was on May 28, 1924, whentwenty-seven medals were awarded. In each case, the presentations were made by the President of the Company in the presence of the Board of Directors and the higher executiveofficers.

Harry Waterson writes:

Harry is right. I've been a bit over the top on these medals, having published articles in both the TAMS Journal and the Keystone publication of thePennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society, as well as an educational exhibit.

The medals were struck by Gorham & Co.

PRR records (split between the PA state archives in Harrisburg and the Hagley Museum & Library in Wilmington) record 111 were presented starting in 1926 (for actions goingback to 1923) and 1953. The pre-war medals use an insert die technique for placement of the name and date of event, the postwar medals observed have the name and date engraved.Two heroism events between 1954 and 1957 note in the employee publication that only a Carnegie Medal was awarded (Some PRR folks received both, others did not).

This makes the sixth unawarded medal known (The ANS has one).

One named medal is known from 1928 for which there is no documentation (applications in archives) or board minutes (citations were read into the minutes and medals presented atthe end of board meetings).

I have developed a 36 page booklet listing a nice history and award citations.

To read the complete article, see:

Pennsylvania Railroad Medals for Heroic Service, 1926, ArticleReprint (https://wiki.genealogytoday.com/Pennsylvania_Railroad_Medals
_for_Heroic_Service_1926_Article_Reprint.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:

EVENTS AT THE 2013 CHICAGO ANA CONVENTION (http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n33a03.html)

To read the complete Coin Galleries auction lot listing, see:
Ancient and Modern Coins of the World and the United States, Paper Money andMedals (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctionlots?AucCoId=510515&AuctionId=519224&page=111)