1909 Panama Canal "Roosevelt Medal"

1909 U.S. MINT ROSEVELT "PANAMA CANAL" MEDAL Medal No. 1632 2 Years Bar No. 995 - 1908-10 2 Years Bar No. 676 - 1910-12 ​"W.P. McLean" "William P. McLean was born December 23rd 1883 in Texas to his father John H. McLean & His mother Olivia Mcdugald. William lived in McLennan Texas before he was hired by the Administration Department July 9th 1906 as a "time inspector" for $100.00 a month. He took his oath July 11th 1906, and sailed to Panama on July 13th 1906. McLean arrived at the Panama Isthmus July 20th 1906. His service cards show his first day of work as Dec. 1, 1906 as a Clerk in the Disbursing Department. February 1st 1907 he was given a raise to $125.00 a month. February 1st 1908 he was given a raise to $150.00 a month. August 11th 1910 he was given a raise to $175.00 a month still as a Clerk in the Disbursing Department. December 4th 1912 he resigned his position and was rehired Feb. 10th 1913 as a Clerk in a special transfer from the Interior Department. McLean resigned again October 7th 1914, & was rehired again for $75.00 an hour as a Clerk in the Panama Rail Road R&J April 1st 1915. McLean's was discharged May 7th 1915 for absence without permission. He appeared July 1st 1915 for nominal re-instatement for the purpose of transfer to the Panama Post Office Department. William McLean was issued his Roosevelt Medal "No. 1632" for his service from "1906-1908". He was then issued his first 2 Years Bar "No. 995" for his service from "1908-1910". His last 2 Years Bar "No. 676" for his service from "1910-1912". William McLean worked as a United States Postman until he retired. He passed away May 6th 1953 & he is buried at Forest Park Cemetery, Greenville, Texas." THE ROOSEVELT MEDAL Shortly after he was inaugurated President, Theodore Roosevelt resolved to complete the Panama Canal that the French had abandoned several years earlier after spending $287 million, moving 50,000,000 cubic meters of earth and rock, digging eleven miles dug, and losing 20,000 worker’s lives to malaria, yellow fever and accidents. In a speech to Congress, TR said about the Panama Canal, "No single great material work which remains to be undertaken on this continent is as of such consequence to the American people." Apart from the benefits to commercial shipping, the U.S. fleet needed better mobility between the Caribbean and Pacific than the 18,000 mile route around Cape Horn. In 1902, the United States reached an agreement to buy the property rights and equipment from the French for up to $40 million and began negotiating a treaty with Colombia which controlled Panama. When Columbia became intractable, Roosevelt and Panamanian business interests collaborated on a revolution that was pretty much over before it started, though some good brinksmanship avoided bloodshed. Ultimately, Colombian soldiers in Colón were bribed $50 each to head back to Columbia, while the U.S.S. Nashville stood in the harbor at Colón well within range. Dixie and Prairie arrived later and crews on all three ships qualified for the Expeditionary Medal. On November 3, 1903, the nation of Panama was born with a constitution pre-drafted by Americans. A favorable treaty with Uncle Sam was soon signed by the pro-canal Panamanian government. TR and his second wife traveled to Panama in November 1906 to inspect the construction, the first time a POTUS had travelled out of North America. Roosevelt seemed to genuinely enjoy himself and there is a famous photo of him sitting in one of the huge Bucyrus shovels . In a speech delivered at the Canal Zone he declared his intention to issue a medal to the Canal Diggers. "I shall see if it is not possible to provide for some little memorial, some mark, some badge, which will always distinguish the man who for a certain space of time has done his work well on this Isthmus." The following month, newspapers published a White House statement, “Medals of a suitable character are to be given to all citizens of the United States who have served the government satisfactorily on the Isthmus of Panama for two years. A competent artist will be engaged and the design for a medal prepared. President Roosevelt is anxious that suitable tribute to, and recognition of service shall be shown by the government, and believes the effect will be salutary and wholesome." The Roosevelt Medal was authorized by an Executive Order dated June 23, 1907. Recipients had to be American citizens, with at least 2 years satisfactory and continuous service after May 1904 and military service did not qualify. If a serviceman earned the medal as a civilian, he could not wear it on his uniform. Among the details of the report issued in April 1908 by the commission Roosevelt had asked to develop medal specifications was that it “shall be of composition of bronze from old French canal scrap.” Staybolts from abandoned French equipment were melted down to make the planchets. The February 1909 Canal Record reported that 1000 pounds of French scrap had been sent to the Philadelphia Mint. Later it was noted that the 1000 pounds was sufficient for all the medals and bars that were minted. The first batch of 2264 medals and bars covering service between May 4, 1904 and the end of 1908 arrived in Panama on September 3, 1909 and distribution began immediately. For each additional two years of service, the holder was awarded a service bar. The service bars are each impressed with a number on the back (not the same number as the planchet) and the years of the additional 2-year service. There were 7423 medals struck with sequential numbers and 7404 were issued covering service up to the end of 1914, the balance were for replacement of lost medals. The number of bars struck for additional 2-year continuous service periods were: First Bars: 3648; Second Bars: 1661; Third Bars: 561 and Fourth Bars: 42. By the end of 1912, there had been 6489 medals struck, so the medal pictured here, number 6394, would have been struck very near the end of 1912 and probably delivered in early 1913 to James D. Smith for his continuous service on the Canal from 1910-12. F.D. Millet, who was later a passenger fatality on the Titanic, sculpted the bust of Roosevelt that was used in the medal design. It was struck in bronze at the Philadelphia Mint from dies prepared by Victor D. Brenner of New York City, whose name appears to the right of Roosevelt’s bust. U.S. Coin collectors probably recognize Brenner’s name, he of the “1909-S, VDB, Lincoln cent”. We would not have our Lincoln penny if there wasn’t the Roosevelt Medal first. Brenner and TR became friends while Roosevelt sat for Brenner to sculpt his clay model in preparation for making the die. The men discovered they shared an admiration for Abraham Lincoln, so TR commissioned Brenner to design a new cent commemorating the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Brenner’s “wheat ears” reverse ended in 1958, but the front of Brenner’s Lincoln cent is still minted, nearly 105 years later. The medals are named to the recipients with their initials and surnames under Roosevelt’s bust. The reverse shows an aerial view of the Culebra Cut with steamers passing between Gold Hill and Contractor’s Hill. The Canal Zone motto “THE LAND DIVIDED, THE WORLD UNITED” is inscribed on the horizon. The legend “PRESENTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES” is around the border and centered on the bottom is the shield of the Canal Zone with the medal number and the recipient’s construction service dates on either side. The Panama Canal opened officially on August 15, 1914, but arguably the greatest engineering project ever was eclipsed by the First World War.