A Scion Society of The Baker Street Irregulars
Trivia Answer: Has An BSI Member Been Awarded An Congressional Gold Medal?
Congratulations to James O’Leary, the 28th Garrideb, who was the first to reply correctly to our recent trivia question. The question was “has a member of the Baker Street Irregulars been awarded an Congressional Gold Medal, and if so, whom?
O’Leary responded that President Harry S Truman, who was an honorary member of the BSI, was awarded an Congressional Gold Medal.
Truman’s Congressional Gold Medal was designed by U.S. Mint Engraver Matthew Peloso and features a rather lackluster design, in my opinion. The obverse features a bust of Truman, while the reverse features the Harry S Truman National Historic Site in Independence, Missouri.
In the picture of the medal presentation, it appears that the medal is 1.5 inches in diameter and that a 3 inch medal was not authorized, as is usually done.
There was some controversy during the medal presentation ceremony. We reprint UPI’s wire story from March 26, 1985, on the ceremony below:
Congressional Medal Bestowed on Truman
President Reagan, in a private White House ceremony, today presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Harry S. Truman posthumously.
The medal, the highest bestowed by Congress, was received in the Oval Office by Truman’s daughter, Margaret Truman Daniel.
Truman, the 33d president, died at the age of 88 in 1972.
Mr. Reagan often invoked Truman’s combative spirit in his political campaigns, and the Missourian was the last Democratic Presidential candidate Mr. Reagan supported before his eventual switch to the Republican Party.
Mrs. Daniel told reporters that Mr. Reagan helped her father in 1948 and, asked how she felt about Mr. Reagan’s campaigning now on her father’s themes, said, ”If they want to run on his coattails, that’s all right with me.”
A similar ceremony for Hubert H. Humphrey was held in the Rose Garden before the White House press corps at the time of last year’s Presidential campaign. But the deputy press secretary, Larry Speakes, barred press coverage of the Truman ceremony.
When a network correspondent asked why the event was closed, Mr. Speakes said camera crews would be allowed to cover it ”if you could stand right here and guarantee me that the Harry Truman Congressional Medal will make your evening news.” He added, ”Otherwise, forget it.”
Mr. Speakes later invited still photographers to record the event.
Thanks to Heath MacAlpine and Wayne Homren of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society for their assistance in tracking down photographs of the Truman Congressional Gold Medal.
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