Thomas D. Rogers

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Sybil Ludington, half-right, next to equestrian statue by Anna Hyatt Huntington. Around, SYBIL LUDINGTON; in exergue, DANBURY STATUE / BY ANNA HYATT / HUNTINGTON; signed at bottom, TR

The reverse bears two laurel branches. Across, COMMEMORATING / DANBURY / COIN CLUB / 20th / ANNIVERSARY / OCTOBER 1957

The Danbury Coin Club was founded at 8:00 pm on Thursday October 24, 1957. Sixteen people responded to an advertisement in the Danbury News Times calling an open meeting for anyone interested in forming a local coin club in Danbury, Connecticut.

Sybil Ludington (1761-1839) was a heroine of the American Revolution. On the night of April 26, 1777, at the age of 16, she rode to alert militia forces in villages of Putnam County, New York and Danbury, Connecticut, to the approach of the British regular forces. The ride was similar to those performed by William Dawes and Paul Revere, and Jack Jouett. Ludington rode more than twice the distance of Revere and was much younger than the men.

The circular medal measures 38.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medallion's obverse bears Hermes, the messenger god, bearing a banner inscribed with UNIVERSAL SERVICE; over him, a bell from which lightning emanates. Around centerfield, within intricately patterned border, · AMERICAN · TELEPHONE · AND · TELEGRAPH · CO · AND · ASSOCIATED · COMPANIES ·

The reverse bears, within intricate border, Bell / Advanced / Management / Program / ANTHONY J. RIZZO / Presented by / (signature) / W.S. Cashel Jr. / October 1978

This large medallion is unsigned and somewhat hard to identify. The closest I could get—corresponding nicely with the medallion's style—is to identify the original designer as Paul Manship and the sculptor as Tom Rogers. Dick Johnson lists a 1980's medal modeled by Tom Rogers, based on a 1916 7 foot diameter floor plate designed by Manship and cast by Gorham. Two such plates originally resided in the Western Union Building at 195 Broadway, New York City.  He also references Murtha 75 which describes the floor plates as

"low relief of a male figure carrying a bell which emits flashes of electricity"

This sounds close and together with the corporate connection, the stylistic match, and the absence of other candidates, it sounds like a plausible match. The only mismatch is the 1978 award date, which precedes the 1980's range listed by Johnson by a few years, but small discrepancies in medal dating are not uncommon in reference works.

I have thus tentatively filed this medallion under Manship and Rogers and would love to receive confirmations or rebuttals.

The circular medallion measures 100mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.