Home Awards The Fossil History Collections Contact Links Recipient of the 1953 (first) Gold Composing Stick Edward H. Cole

From The Fossil no. 139, July 1953

President Porter called upon Mrs. McDonald, as Chairman of the Award Committee, to tell about the Fossil Award, initiated this year, and to make the presentation. Mrs. McDonald explained that the award was a gold-plated composing-stick, suitably engraved which The Fossils would award from time to time to a Fossil, or to a member of amateur journalism, for outstanding merit—not a single feat of accomplishment, nor particularly an amateur activity, however. The award will not be made annually or at any stated intervals. It will be presented only for outstanding accomplishment in the furtherance of The Fossils as an organization, or for unusual endeavor on behalf of amateur journalism, or it may be that some Fossil or amateur journalist in a capacity outside the hobby achieves significance which redounds to his credit as a Fossil or an amateur journalist and thus puts him in position for this award. There will be no contest for the award. The Award committee (Edna McDonald, Chm.; Edward H. Cole, Harry T. Cook, Hyman Bradofsky, Anthony F. Moitoret, and Fred F. Thomas, Jr.) will be the arbiters selectors, and judges of those eligible for the award from time to time and will make the award as situations indicate it is deserved. In this way true virtue will be repaid, years of earnest striving will be noticed, and those who endeavor to achieve only for the love of their art will be made to feel that such striving is not all selfish and in vain.

Mrs. McDonald reported further that several persons were designated by the committee as deserving consideration for the first award but as accomplishments were analyzed, the list dwindled to three persons upon which the committee took ballots. The award went almost unanimously to Edward H. Cole. Almost unanimously because, it must be recorded, Mr. Cole was given no opportunity to consider himself eligible or to cast a ballot in his own favor. The award, ornamental perhaps rather than useful in a busy hobby-shop, was then presented to Mr. Cole. And was he surprised! Words actually failed him for a space; he showed considerable emotion. But the applause following the presentation left no doubt that the decision of the committee was fair, and that Mr. Cole deserved this signal honor. “Cole Stuck With Fancy Stick,” says the A. P. C. News, but so long as Cole sticks with the Fossils that body will never be stuck for want of an advocate, a proselyte, and a devotee.