imported>Bearcat: removed Category:Humanitarian and service awards; added Category:American humanitarian and service awards using HotCat

2025-05-17T18:30:04Z

removed Category:Humanitarian and service awards; added Category:American humanitarian and service awards using HotCat

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{{Short description|Private award for civilian heroism in US and Canada}}
{{About|U.S. Carnegie Hero Fund Commission|the UK Carnegie Hero Fund Trust|Carnegie Hero Fund Trust}}
[[File:Andrew Carnegie, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing slightly left, 1913.jpg|thumb|right|Andrew Carnegie]]

The '''Carnegie Hero Fund Commission''', also known as '''Carnegie Hero Fund''', was established to recognize persons who perform extraordinary acts of [[heroism]] in [[civilian]] life in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed saving or attempting to save others. Those chosen for recognition receive the '''Carnegie Medal'''<ref name="award">{{cite web|url=http://carnegiehero.org/awardees/|title=Awardees|work=Carnegie Hero Fund Commission|accessdate=22 March 2016}}</ref> and become eligible for scholarship aid and other benefits. A private operating foundation, the Hero Fund was established in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], in 1904 with a trust fund of $5 million by [[Andrew Carnegie]], the Scottish-American [[industrialist]] and [[philanthropist]].

==History==
The fund was inspired by Selwyn M. Taylor and Daniel A. Lyle, who gave their lives in rescue attempts following the [[Harwick Mine disaster]] in [[Springdale Township, Pennsylvania|Harwick, Pennsylvania]], just outside Pittsburgh, on January 25, 1904. The disaster claimed 181, including Taylor and Lyle, who were killed during rescue attempts. Greatly touched by Taylor's and Lyle's sacrifice, Carnegie had medals privately minted for their families, and within two months he wrote the Hero Fund's governing "Deed of Trust",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://carnegiehero.org/about-the-fund/|title=Deed of Trust|work=Carnegie Hero Fund Commission|accessdate=22 March 2016}}</ref> which was adopted by the newly created commission on April 15, 1904.

==Administration==
The Fund is administered by a 21-member volunteer board and a small staff.<ref>[https://www.carnegiehero.org/about-the-fund/commision-members-staff/ Commission Members and Staff], Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.</ref> As of December 2022, a total of 10,340 Carnegie Medals have been awarded since the Fund was established, with the Fund paying $40.5 million in grants, scholarships, death benefits, and other aid.<ref>[https://www.carnegiehero.org/carnegie-medal-awardees-december-2018-heroism-2/ 18 named Carnegie heroes for acts of extraordinary heroism], Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, December 18, 2018.</ref> About 11% of nominees received the Carnegie Medal.<ref name="InvestigationProcess">[https://www.carnegiehero.org/about-the-fund/process/ Investigation Process], Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.</ref>

The Commission’s working definition of a hero as well as its requirements for awarding remain largely those that were approved by the founder. The Fund's website states the criteria:

{{quote|
*"The rescuer must be a civilian who knowingly and voluntarily risks his or her own life to an extraordinary degree. Members of the armed services and children considered by the Commission too young to comprehend the risk involved are ineligible for consideration."
*"The rescuer must have rescued or attempted the rescue of another person."
*"The act of heroism must have occurred in the United States, Canada, or the [[Territorial waters|waters thereof]] (12 [[nautical miles]]).
*"The act must be brought to the attention of the Commission within two years of the date of its occurrence."
*"The act of rescue must be one in which no full measure of responsibility exists between the rescuer and the rescued, which precludes those whose vocational duties require them to perform such acts, unless the rescues are clearly beyond the line of duty; and members of the immediate family, except in cases of outstanding heroism where the rescuer loses his or her life or is severely injured."
*"There must be conclusive evidence to support the threat to the victim’s life, the risk undertaken by the rescuer, the rescuer’s degree of responsibility, and the act's occurrence."<ref name="InvestigationProcess"/>}}

About 90% of those awarded are male, and, over the life of the Fund, roughly one-quarter of awards have been given posthumously.<ref name="mcdougall200711">{{cite news|last=McDougall|first=Christopher|title=The Hidden Cost of Heroism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AsgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA210|page=207-08|magazine=Men's Health|date=November 2007}}</ref>

=== Carnegie Medal ===

The three inch (7.13 cm) in diameter bronze medals which are given to awardees, are struck by Simons Brothers Co. of Philadelphia and consist of 90% copper and 10% tin.<ref name="medal">{{cite web|url=http://carnegiehero.org/about-the-fund/carnegie-medal/|title=Carnegie Medal|work=Carnegie Hero Fund Commission|accessdate=18 December 2015}}</ref>

A verse from the [[Gospel of John]] encircles the outer edge: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" ([[John 15]]:13).

The first medals issued by the trust were in bronze, silver and gold. The trust soon stopped issuing gold medals. The last silver medal was issued in 1981.<ref name="medal"/>

==Expanded into Europe==
[[File:Medaille Carneggie Heldenfonds.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Dutch medal of the Carnegie Hero Fund.]]

On 21 September 1908, Andrew Carnegie expanded the concept with the establishment of the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Carnegie Hero Fund Trust]], based in [[Dunfermline]], [[Scotland]].<ref>{{Scottish charity|SC000729|Carnegie Hero Fund Trust}}</ref>

Within the next three years, the British trust was followed by equivalent foundations in nine other European countries:
* The [[France|French]] ''Fondation Carnegie'' – founded 23 July 1909
* The [[Germany|German]] ''Carnegie Stiftung für Lebensretter'' – founded in late December 1910. The trust was taken over by the German [[Nazi Germany|Nazi government]] in 1934 and wasn't recreated until 2005.
* The [[Norway|Norwegian]] ''Carnegie Heltefond for Norge'' – founded 21 March 1911
* The [[Netherlands|Dutch]] ''Stichting Carnegie Heldenfonds'' – founded 23 March 1911
* The [[Switzerland|Swiss]] ''Fondation Carnegie pour les Sauveteurs'' ("The Carnegie Rescuers Foundation") – founded 28 April 1911
* The [[Belgium|Belgian]] ''Carnegie Hero Fund Commission'' – founded 13 July 1911
* The [[Italy|Italian]] ''Fondazione Carnegie'' – founded 25 September 1911
* The [[Sweden|Swedish]] ''Carnegiestiftelsen'' – founded 6 October 1911
* The [[Denmark|Danish]] ''Carnegies Belønningsfond for Heltemod'' – founded 30 December 1911. The Danish trust also covers acts of heroism in [[Greenland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]].

==See also==
*[[Lenny Skutnik]] – Carnegie Medal recipient, 1982
*[[Aquilla J. Dyess|Aquilla J. "Jimmie" Dyess]] – Carnegie Medal recipient, 1929, and [[Medal of Honor]] recipient (posthumous), 1944
*[[Tiny Lund]] - Carnegie Medal Recipient, 1963. Saving the life of [[Marvin Panch]] in a crash at [[Daytona International Speedway]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Americana Poster}}
*[https://www.carnegiehero.org/ US Fund]
*[http://www.carnegiehero.org.uk UK Fund]
*[http://www.carnegie.ch/ Switzerland Fund]
*[http://www.carnegieheltefond.no Norway Fund]
*[http://www.carnegiestiftelsen.se Sweden Fund]
*[http://www.carnegiefonds.nl Netherlands Fund]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180807074124/http://carnegie-stiftung.de/ German Fund]

[[Category:American humanitarian and service awards]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1904]]
[[Category:Courage awards]]
[[Category:Andrew Carnegie]]
[[Category:1904 establishments in the United States]]

Carnegie Hero Fund - Revision history

imported>Bearcat: removed Category:Humanitarian and service awards; added Category:American humanitarian and service awards using HotCat