The Grace Carley Harriman Award, also known as the Grace Harriman

Award or the Harriman Medallion was a prestigious award given to

only one* Guardian per year. Starting in 1921, Mrs Oliver (Grace) 

Harriman, an Atlanta socialite and then President of the Camp Fire

Girls had been requested by the Camp Fire Girls National Board

to find a award to honor the " Guardian who sends in the best report

of work by the girls for the year."

 

The only known image of the award was found twice, in the Everygirl's Magazine in 1922 and then again in 1924. The size of the award is unknown, but a newspaper image of someone receiving the medallion shows that it was about 1". It is reported to be silver (except in the earliest days when it was noted as gold.)

​

Known Winners:

 

1921: Miss Medella Small, Saugus, MA

• Award is listed in newspaper as being gold

​

1922: Mrs Mildred Crawford Kielman, Bristol, CT

​

1923: unknown

 

1924: Gertrude M. Eaton, Guardian of Wichea Camp Fire, Manila, Philippine Islands

​

1925: Charlotte Millet, Gorham, ME

​

1926: Mrs. Mary Ford, Orange, TX

​

1927: unknown, in December Mrs. Oliver (Grace) Harriman resigns as Camp Fire Girl President

​

1928: unknown

​

1929: Mrs. H.E. Hall, Sherman, TX

​

1930: Mrs. Skinner, Springfield, MO

• Mrs. A.G. Black, Butte, MO received                                                                                    a replica of the Harriman Medallion for                                                                                    coming in 2nd place.

​

1931: Bernice Young, Los Angeles, CA

​

1932: Mrs. Charles H Williams, Oshkosh, WI - Oshkosh Camp Fire Girls

​

1933: Miss Ruth H Kirkland, Long Beach, CA

​

1934: Mrs. Josephine Rodgers, Dallas, TX

​

1935: Mrs. T H Judd, Spokane, WA (listed in 2 newspapers as winner)

           Mrs. Evelyn Pence, Columbus, OH (listed in 1 newspaper as winner)

​

1936: Mrs Lora Turner Bostwick, Arlington, GA - Arlington Camp Fire Girls

​

1937: Miss Ruth Wheeler, Denver, CO

• Miss Clara Gates, Spokane, WA was runner-up. Miss Gates was also noted as Mrs. Howard L Gates of Spokane, WA. Not clear which version of her name is correct.

 

1938: Miss Ruth Lotz, Hyde Park, PA

            Mrs. Bertha Freer, vice president of the Guardians Association - this newspaper clipping notes that 8 Harriman Medallions awarded around the country.

​

1939: Miss Alice Lund, St. Cloud, MI

​

1940: Mrs. Barrett Coates, Oakland, CA of Wicawa Camp Fire Girls

         

1941: unknown

​

1942: unknown

​

1943: unknown

​

1944: Mrs. Charles C Alvord, Worcester, MA

​

1945: unknown

​

1946: unknown

​

1947: Mrs Barton Atkinson, Waco, TX

           Mrs. Bob Wilson, Hereford, TX - noted in 1948 newspaper as "last year's winner"

​

No further winners are found in the newspapers, just references back to former winners.

​

* some newspapers seem to note there was more than one Harriman Medallion handed out per year.