The Boy Scout Hornaday Award Page 1

About this Section of the website

I am delighted to present this original research by well known scouting historian, Dave Eby. Dave is the Curator of the Toledo (Erie Shore Council) Scout Museum. This information first appeared in an abbreviated form in SCQ.

A few advanced collectors may have a 1960’s era Hornaday Award or Medal, but the earlier medals were issued in such small quantities that they are almost impossible to think of as collectible. A very advanced collector might have a singe award or medal. To see them all assembled and catalogued for this article is breathtaking for me. I am in awe of the time and research Dave Eby has put into the project.

Most people viewing this will probably be collectors, so I’ve put the “pictures” in the front and the history in the back. It probably should be the other way around, but I know collectors want to see the pictures and serious historians will scroll through to the back.

Hornaday is not usually credited as being a founder of scouting, but he was right there in the thick of things. Dan Beard, Ernest Thompson Seton and Theodore Roosevelt were members of his Campfire Club. It is believed that Hornaday developed the requirements and text for Conservation merit badge. Hornaday has fallen out of favor and the conservation awards have been renamed, but he made outstanding contributions in the early years.

The Hornaday holds a special meaning for me personally. I received my Eagle with my best friend. Afterwards we were looking for one last scouting honor. We considered the Hornaday, no scout in Chicago had ever earned it. We sent for information and starting thinking of a project a couple Chicago city boys might do. When the material came, we realized there really weren’t requirements, scouts just had to do something outstanding. We looked at what others had done and were overwhelmed by the projects. We got our drivers licenses and were hoping for girl friends so the Hornaday Award was forgotten. But I think of it occasionally and wish that we had been more motivated.

The Original Type I Hornaday Medal

This is the first Hornaday Medal that was issued and awarded as a " Hornaday Medal" by the BSA after the death of William T. Hornaday in 1937. The metals were previosly called the "Wild Life Protection Metal" of the Permanent Wildlife Protection Fund (P.W.L.P.F.) In 1938 the metals and badges were renamed to the "Hornaday Awards" in honor of the late Dr. William T. Hornaday. There were no metails issued in 1938, 1039 or 1940. The metal issued to J. Frank Ritter was the first one to be awarded as a "Hornaday Medal". The first "Hornaday Badges were issued in 1939. There were a total of three Type 1 Hornaday Medals issued between 1941 and 1929. All three are now accounted for. The 1943 medal is owned by the Camp Miakonda Scouting Museum in Ohio.

Type I Hornaday Gold Medal and Gold Badge

1917-1937 P.W.I.P.F Medal

1938-1950 Type I Hornaday Medal

1943 Hornaday Medal Front

1943 Hornaday Medal - Reverse


Reverse Side of the Wild Life Protection Badge Awarded by the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund. (P.W.L.P.F.) Pre-1937 Badge Awarded from 1922-1937	Front Side of the Type I Badge Used from 1922-1950 1922-1937 P.W.L.P.F. Badge 1938-1950 Hornaday Badge (Same Badge - Reverse is different) Dr. Hornaday died in March 1937	Reverse Side of the Hornaday Badge Awarded by the New York Zoological Society Post 1938 Badge Awarded from 1938-1950