John Scott medal award

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1954
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 69 KB
• Volume: 257
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-0032
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-0032(54)90662-6

✦ Synopsis

lished more than a century and a quarter ago by John Scott, an obscure Scottish chemist of Edinburgh, who died in 1816. In his will, he bequeathed the sum of $4000 to the City of Philadelphia, directing that the interest and dividend becoming receivable thereon should "be laid out in premiums to be distributed among ingenious men and women who make useful inventions, but no one of such premiums to exceed twenty dollars and along with which shall be given a copper medal." It is believed that Scott made Philadelphia the instrument of his benefaction because of his admiration for Benjamin Franklin.

From 1821 until 1834, the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture was in charge of recommending recipients for these premiums. In 1834, The Franklin Institute was authorized by the City of Philadelphia to take over this responsibility. The Institute continued, through its Committee on Science and the Arts, to make such recommendations until 1919, when a separate advisory committee was formed to aid the Board of Directors of City Trusts in selecting candidates for this award.

By Court order in 1920 and 1921, the City of Philadelphia, Trustee, acting by the Board of Directors of City Trusts, was authorized to distribute the income in premiums not exceeding $2000 each. None of the recipients, however, has received more than $1000.