George R. Henderson Medal Explained

George R. Henderson Medal
Sponsor:	Franklin Institute
Country:	United States
Awarded For:	Meritorious inventions or discoveries in the field of railway engineering

The George R. Henderson Medal is an award established by the Franklin Institute in honor of George R. Henderson in 1924, coinciding with a $2,500 fund for the award contributed by his wife. George R. Henderson served on the Franklin Institute's Committee on Science and the Arts from 1912 until 1921.^[1] The award was designated to go to individuals who made meritorious inventions or discoveries in the field of railway engineering.^[2]

Notable recipients

• 1931, Arthur Newell Talbot, for consideration of his practical development of the railway transition spiral and for his creative guidance of the American Railway Engineering association s tests on structural and track materials for railway building and maintenance.^[3]
• 1933, Otho Cromwell Duryea, novel feature embodied in the invention of the Duryea railway-car cushion underframe.^[4]
• 1939, Ralph Budd, president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, distinguished contributions in railroad engineering.^[5]
• 1943, Harry M. Pflager, for development of the cast-steel, one piece bed for steam locomotive construction.^[6]
• 1950, Paul W. Kiefer, for contributions in the field of railroading.^[7]
• 1951, Hermann Lemp, for his contributions to the development of the Diesel Electric locomotive.^[8]
• 1952, Alfred Büchi, Swiss engineer and inventor, an authority on Diesel engines.^[9]
• 1954, C. Levon Eksergian, outstanding accomplishments in the field of railway engineering.^[10]
• 1957, Association of American Railroads, for invention in railway engineering.^[11]
• 1959, General Motors Corporation, electro-motive division for developing and mass producing the Diesel-electric locomotive.^[12]
• 1964, William K. MacCurdy and William E. Thomford, achievements "in the field of railway impact control and associated car design, with resulting benefits in reducing lading and rolling stock damage".^{[13] [14]}
• 1981, PATCO Speedline, recognized as the outstanding high-speed rail transportation system in America.^[15]

Notes and References

1. Book: Yearbook Of The Franklin Institute. George R. Henderson Medal.. Awards By The Institute. 1925. Franklin Institute. 73.
2. Awards By The Institute . . December 1925 . 200 . 6 . xi .
3. News: Prof . A . N . Talbot Receives George Henderson Medal . The Daily Illini . May 21, 1931.
4. News: Franklin Medal Given To Wright . . May 18, 1933 . 22.
5. News: Science Awards Are Announced . . Associated Press . April 30, 1939 . Fort Worth, Texas . 5.
6. News: Harry M. Pflager Gets Medal For Rail Invention . . 229 . April 22, 1943 . 8A.
7. News: 11 Scientists and Engineers Will Be Signally Honored . Shamokin News-Dispatch . October 18, 1950 . Shamokin, Pennsylvania . 9.
8. News: Lemp's Diesel Invention Wins Him Highest Honor . The Sunday News . August 5, 1951 . . 1.
9. News and Notes . . September 26, 1952 . 116 . 3013 . 315 . The American Association for the Advancement of Science.
10. Eskergian To Receive Henderson Medal . Railway Age . September 20, 1954 . 137 . 12 . 14 .
11. Research That Won A Medal . . November 25, 1957 . 143 . 22 . 12 .
12. News: Franklin Medal To Be Awarded . . October 21, 1959 . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . 45.
13. Book: Nielson, Donald . A Heritage of Innovation: SRI's First Half Century . SRI International . 2006 . 978-0-9745208-1-0 . . 6-1 - 6-3.
14. News: A Research Accomplishment Acknowledged. SRI International. 1964.
15. News: Waddall . Larry . Lindenwold Line proves trains work . Asbury Park Press . January 26, 1981 . Asbury Park, New Jersey . C1.