Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-19
President Presents Medal
To Henry Bacon, architect
A,oard of Gold Gift
Features Pictur-
esqe Ceremony.
Honor Paid to the
Designer of Lin
coin Memorial.

Henry Bacon, architect of the Lin
coin Memorial. was presented by
President Harding with the GOLD
medal of the American Institute OF
Architects at picturesque ceremonies
held at the national shrine last night
Taking on the form of a medieval
Iageant, the ceremonies presented n
colorful spectacle. which WED with
anything Washington had ever seen.
the beautiful rejecting basin IN front
Of the Memorial playing a prominent
part in the pageant.
President Harding paid high tribute
to Mr.. Bacon in the course of his
address of presentation. which was
held on the steps of the shrine. after
a procession in which the architect
of the structure had been escorted
on barge Of honor from the east
end of the lagoon. The President
]auded the spirit and ideals of Lin
coin and said that Mr.. Bacon had
presented them in a building body
Ing forth the substance Of emo. ling
thought"
Members Of Inatitute Present.
Members Of the institute, incI1ding
the skilled trades. clad in beautifully
colored costumes, and bearing bright
banners. formed on either side Of the
rejecting pool. which was lit by far
ing torches.
Mrs. Harding. wife of the President
was an interested spectator Of the
pageant and ceremony, viewing the
spectacle from the White House auto
mobile.
Mr.. Bacon. accompanied by Will
president of the American Institute
of Architects. which, with last nights
pageant, closed its fiftysixth annual
convention here, embarked on the
little barge of honor at 9 o'clock.
following a dinner which had been
SPACE to the east of the pool.
Slowly waited along the pool, the
barge came to rest at the west end, in
front OF the approaches and steps OF
the memorial There had been some
rain. but the rain could in no sense
dampen the pageant. the center of
which was the ideal beauty of the
great memorial. its white loneliness
standing out of the black night like
the spirit of the great Lincoln out of
the darkness of civil strife.
Greeted by Chief Justice Taft.
When Mr.. Bacon disembarked. he
was greeted by Chief Justice William
Howard Taft of the United States Su-
preme Court, who escorted him to
President Harding. There. surround
ed by hundreds of invited guests, the
President presented Mr.. Bacon with
the rare medal of the American InSti-
tute of Architects.
1t was a fitting tribute to the man
whose technical skill enabled him to
bring forth such pure specimen OF
| architecture. and those who took part
| In the spectacle. as unusual as IT was
1 hp9nfifnl al
| as the guest of honor. The time OF
| night, the drizzling rain, the color OF
| the pageantry. with the setting and
| the entire spirit of the occasion, COM
| vari-colored lights playing upon the
| Memorial. added to the beauty.
President Praises Lincoln.
Praising the character of Lincoln
and the memorial as a fitting tribute
President Harding said:
This occasion not only envisages
| the career of Lincoln. but the prog.
| ress of the nation which, by his pa
| triotfsm and devotion, was saved &c
| play its full part in the affairs of oul
| world and our civilization.
1T is not for me to speak know.
| ingly of art or of architecture. but
| am very sure l do not gravely erl
! when l assume that no man could
have seen in his minds eye the vision
l VI thiS Supl cLiCiy dppSdliuS
| ture. or could have conceived it al
| the most appropriate memorial to tn,
[ life and work OF Lincoln, unless h.
was SO fortunate as to sense the
; genius. the character. the simple aims
| and unquestioning integrity which
| were the dominant traits of the
| emancipation. 1t Is part, and a great
\ part, of the debt which as a nation
| we owe to Lincoln, that because OF
| his service and devotion, we are 6
nation capable of bringing forth such
genius in conception. such capacity
| for realization. as are here attested
| The place of Lincoln in the affections