The medal's obverse bears bust of Willard F. Rockwell, facing. Around top, WILLARD F. ROCKWELL; around bottom, 45 YEARS AN / AUTOMOTIVE PARTS PIONEER; signed under truncation, R·J·MENCONI
The reverse bears corporate logo with 50 YEARS in circle. Around, ROCKWELL-STANDARD CORPORATION / 1909 - 1959
Willard F. Rockwell (1888-1978) was born in Boston, Massachusetts and attended the local public schools before attending MIT. In the years between 1909 and 1915 he was chief engineer for several small companies and developed a keen interest in the automotive business. During World War I he was a civilian specialist in the Army Quartermaster Corps. In 1919 he started his first company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and sold it nine years later, staying on as its manager and a director of the Timken-Detroit Axle Company. He became president only four years later and merged it with several small companies he controlled. In 1958 he renamed the large company to Rockwell Standard Corp. Rockwell-Standard eventually became a major player in aviation and the space industry and is now called Rockwell International.
The circular medal measures 69.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1959-066