Gladys Gunzer Explained

Gladys Smith Gunzer
Birth Date:	12 November 1939
Birth Place:	North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Medalist, sculptor
Spouse:	Richard Sheridan Gunzer^[1]

Gladys Smith Gunzer (November 12, 1939 – June 13, 2016) was a noted American medalist and sculptor. She was the first woman chosen to design an official United States presidential inaugural medal.^[2]

Biography

Gunzer was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1939. She studied fine arts at the Women's College of the University of North Carolina, but left in order to raise her family. She was hired by the Medallic Art Company in 1972 and worked there until 1990, working her way up to senior sculptor and manager of the firm's art department.^[3] She then moved to Arizona and worked as a freelance medallic sculptor.^[2]

Notable works

• 1980 Winter Olympics Medals^[2]
• 1984 IEEE Centennial Medal^[4]
• 2000 IEEE Third Millennial Medal^[4]
• 2005 United States Presidential Inaugural Medal^[2]

External links

• Gladys Gunzer obituary
• Gunzer, Gladys Smith, in Dick Johnson's Databank of Medal Artists

Notes and References

1. News: Weddings. 18 June 2017. Newspapers.com. The Bridgeport Post. 25 November 1960. en.
2. Web site: Luce Artist Biography - Gladys Gunzer. Smithsonian American Art Museum. 18 June 2017. en.
3. Web site: Gunzer, Gladys Smith. Medal Artists (Dick Johnson's Databank). 2016-07-09.
4. Web site: Millennium Medal Winners. IEEE. 2016-07-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20150913015417/http://eds.ieee.org/eds-millennium-medal-winners.html. 2015-09-13. dead.