During his medical school years at Harvard, Sawyer received some financial assistance from his cousins, the Crockers. When he received the Leon Bernard Prize for his public health work many years later, he returned the favor by offering the cash portion of the prize to his cousin Courtenay's sons.
Item is handwritten.
Number of Image Pages:
2 (100,345 Bytes)
Date:
1939-07-23 (July 23, 1939)
Creator:
Sawyer, Wilbur A.
Recipient:
Crocker, Courtenay
Rights:
This item is in the public domain. It may be used without permission.
Subject:
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH):
Awards and Prizes
Exhibit Categories:
Controlling Disease during World War II, 1939-1944
Biographical Information
Relation:
Letter from Courtenay Crocker to Wilbur A. Sawyer (July 26, 1939)
The Leon Bernard Prize, which has just been awarded me, included besides the bronze medal one thousand Swiss francs. I shall of course wish to keep the medal, but I should prefer to see the money applied to some single useful purpose rather than merged with my current expenditures. So I am asking you to transmit it to your son for use in connection with his college expenses. He will probably not hesitate to accept it if you will tell him
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that his grandfather, George Crocker, once joined with Mr. Hodges in giving me a sum of money to help me over a difficult time at Harvard College. So the transfer of this money prize to him is made with sentiments of gratitude as well as a desire to help solve his immediate educational problems.
Perhaps he will be interested to know that the prize was awarded by the Leon Bernard Foundation, created by the Health Committee of the League of Nations, for my work "in combating yellow fever, and in the sphere of medico-social protection, which has benefited the populations of a large number of countries."
Not remembering your son's first name I am making the check for $225.20 out in your name.
Letter from Courtenay Crocker to Wilbur A. Sawyer (July 26, 1939)