Harmon Medal in Science awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.
date: label: Date
content: 1927
name: label: Issued by
content: William E. Harmon Foundation, American, 1921 - 1967
label: Received by
content: James A. Parsons Jr., American, 1900 - 1989
notes: label: Caption
content: James A. Parsons Jr. was a scientist, inventor, and university professor, whose research with rust resistant metals and iron alloys is credited with leading to the development of stainless steel. He developed Durimet 20, a corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy also known as Alloy 20, which is still widely used today in a diverse range of industries including petrochemical, textile, nuclear, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and chemical and food processing.
label: Caption
content: Born in 1900, Parsons grew up in Dayton, OH, where his father worked as a butler for Pierce Schenk, the founder of metal manufacturer Duriron Co. Schenk covered Parsons’ tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in exchange for Parsons’ work over summer breaks. Parsons graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1922 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and returned to working at Duriron Co., where he eventually established what was likely the first all-Black industrial research laboratory. Over the course of his career, Parsons received eight patents, won the Harmon Medal in 1928 for his scientific achievements, and had a distinguished teaching career at Tennessee Agriculture and Industrial State College (now Tennessee State University) and Ohio State University.
label: Description
content: A William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes awarded to James A. Parsons Jr. in 1927. The award medallion is on a gold chain with an Elgin pocket watch and gold penknife at one end. The penknife has a single engraving [TRIM]. The back of the watch is engraved with botanical motifs. The medallion has, on one side, a ship in the water at the center surrounded by [HARMON FOUNDATION / AWARDS], and, on the other side, [SCIENCE / FIRST AWARD / 1927 / JAMES A. PARSONS, JR.] surrounded by [INSPIRARTION / ACHIEVEMENT]. The penknife and watch are both attached to the chain with a large clasp and the medallion is attached with a jewelry hook.
place: label: Place made
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Associations and institutions
label: Topic
content: Engineering
label: Topic
content: Science
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Awards, Medals, and Insignia
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Grant Shipp
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.246.8
objectType: label: Type
content: medals
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: metal
label: Dimensions
content: L x W: 17 1/2 × 2 in. (44.5 × 5.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (watch only): 2 1/2 × 2 in. (6.4 × 5.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L (chain only): 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (medallion only): 1 × 1 in. (2.5 × 2.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (pen knife only, closed): 2 7/16 × 1/2 in. (6.2 × 1.3 cm)