The Society’s Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement was founded on the occasion of the Tenth Annual Dinner on December 12, 1908, in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Society.

Every year, the Society presents its Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement to a prominent person in recognition of leadership, citizenship and contributions to the arts, science, education and industry.  In addition to the honor itself, The Pennsylvania Society contributes to a Pennsylvania charity chosen by the recipient of the Gold Medal, subject only to the approval of the Society Council.

Past recipients have included George H.W. Bush, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jane G. Pepper, Joe Paterno, Dr. Gertrude Barber, Bill Cosby, Tom Ridge and Chris Matthews.

Nomination
Nomination for the Gold Medal Award may be submitted, in writing, to the Council by any member in good standing. All nominations should include a specific endorsement of the candidate’s character as well as a rationale in favor of the selection

Selection
It is the sole prerogative of the Council of The Pennsylvania Society to select the Gold Medalist. The President shall convene the Council for the primary purpose of considering and approving candidates for the Gold Medal Award. In a private process, the Council will discuss (even investigate) the merit of each nominee and may request specific input form the membership.

Gold Medalists of the Society

1909 HORACE HOWARD FURNESS
1911 ANDREW CARNEGIE
1912 JAMES VISCOUNT BRYCE
1914 ROMULO NAON
1916 JAMES M. BECK
1917 J. J. JUSSERAND
1919 CARDINAL MERCIER
1921 MARSHAL FOCH
1921 CHARLES M. SCHWAB
1922 MARSHAL JOFFRE
1923 ANDREW W. MELLON
1925 SAMUEL REA
1926 CHARLES G. DAWES
1927 JOHN MARKLE
1928 WILLIAM W. KEEN, M.D.
1929 HENRY FORD
1930 CYRUS H. K. CURTIS
1931 FRED MORGAN KIRBY
1933 W. W. ATTERBURY
1934 MRS. ANDREW CARNEGIE
1937 VICTOR GEORGE HEISER, M.D
1937 M. W. CLEMENT
1938 J. LEONARD REPLOGLE
1939 GEORGE WHARTON PEPPER
1940 HERBERT HOOVER
1944 GENERAL GEORGE C. MARSHALL
1944 WILLIAM A. IRVIN
1945 GENERAL HENRY H. ARNOLD
1945 ADMIRAL ERNEST J. KING
1946 EDWARD MARTIN
1947 GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
1948 OWEN J. ROBERTS
1950 JAMES H. DUFF
1950 THOMAS I. PARKINSON
1951 BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS
1951 EUGENE G. GRACE
1952 BERNARD F. GIMBEL
1952 JOHN J. McCLOY
1953 H. W. PRENTIS, JR.
1954 RICHARD K. MELLON
1955 HARRY E. HUMPHREYS, JR.
1955 ERNEST T. WEIR
1956 GEORGE M. HUMPHREY
1957 GENERAL ALFRED M. GRUENTHER
1958 J. HOWARD PEW
1959 JOHN A. DIEMAND
1960 THOMAS S. GATES, JR.
1960 ROY A. HUNT
1961 THOMAS B. McCABE
1962 GENERAL L. L. LEMNITZER
1962 JAMES M. SYMES
1963 GEORGE H. LOVE
1964 J. EDGAR HOOVER
1964 EDWARD HOPKINSON, JR.
1965 I. S. RAVDIN, M.D.
1966 ROGER M. BLOUGH
1967 WILLIAM B. MURPHY
1968 WILLIAM W. SCRANTON
1969 EDMUND F. MARTIN
1970 JOHN D. HARPER
1971 JAMES A. LINEN
1972 ARNOLD PALMER
1972 FRED WARING
1973 HUGH SCOTT
1974 MAMIE DOUD EISENHOWER
1975 ARTHUR J. ROONEY
1976 WILLIAM E. SIMON
1977 F. EUGENE DIXON, JR.
1978 JAMES A. MICHENER
1978 EDGAR B. SPEER
1979 JACK K. BUSBY
1980 JAMES H. HIGGINS
1981 ANDREW WYETH
1982 FRED M. KIRBY, II
1982 JASON MILLER
1983 WALTER H. ANNENBERG
1984 ANDREW L. LEWIS, JR.
1985 EDWARD DONLEY
1986 JOHN CARDINAL O’CONNOR
1987 JOSEPH V. PATERNO
1988 RICHARD L. THORNBURGH
1989 F. OTTO HAAS
1989 JOHN C. HAAS
1990 FRED M. ROGERS
1991 C. EVERETT KOOP, M.D.
1992 WILLIAM H. COSBY, JR.
1993 ROGER S. PENSKE
1994 DAVID McCULLOUGH
1995 GEORGE M. LEADER
1996 JANE G. PEPPER
1997 HENRY L. HILLMAN
1997 ELSIE H. HILLMAN
1999 WILLIAM D. PHILLIPS
2000 DR. GERTRUDE A. BARBER
2000 WILLIAM A. SCHREYER
2001 MICHAEL NOVAK
2002 ALBERT R. BOSCOV
2003 GEORGE H. W. BUSH
2004 THOMAS J. RIDGE
2005 CHRISTOPHER J. MATTHEWS
2006 JUDITH RODIN
2007 SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER