Silver Buffalo Award

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The Silver Buffalo Award, created in 1926, is bestowed upon those adults who give truly noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth. This award, Boy Scouts of America's highest commendation, recognizes the invaluable contributions that outstanding American men and women render to youth. The service must be national in character and can be directly connected with the BSA or independent of the movement.

The award consistes of a small silver buffalo designed by A. Phimister Proctor, and suspended from a red and white ribbon worn around the neck. A square knot, one strand red the other white, may be worn on the BSA field uniform.

Recipients

The first Silver Buffalo Award was conferred upon Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement and Chief Scout of the World. The second went to the "Unknown Scout" who helped William D. Boyce. This award is represented by a small buffalo statue in Gilwell Park.

The first year of the award, 22 were presented, in a particular order determined by Chief Scout Executive James E. West. Since then, the awards have been presented on an annual basis in alphabetical order.

Other award recipients have included:

Hank Aaron, home run king and Baseball Hall of Fame member
Marian Anderson, first African American singer to appear at the Metropolitan Opera
Neil Armstrong, Eagle Scout, astronaut–first man to set foot on the moon;
Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting, first Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Daniel Carter Beard, first National Scout Commissioner, founder of the Sons of Daniel Boone, sixth Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Yogi Berra, professional baseball player and manager, Baseball Hall of Fame
William D. Boyce, Chicago newspaper man who incorporated the BSA, second Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926
Ralph Bunche, PhD, former U.N. mediator and Nobel Peace Prize winner
Major Frederick Russell Burnham, DSO, father of the international Scouting movement.
Joseph Csatari, artist who succeeded Norman Rockwell as BSA's official artist
Walt Disney, artist and film producer
Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund
George J. Fisher, Deputy Chief Scout Executive of the BSA and Director of the Field Department, twenty-second Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Dr. E. Urner Goodman, founder of the Order of the Arrow
Lewis Blaine Hershey, U.S. Army general
William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, father of American Scouting, big impact on the BSA program and prolific Scouting author
Gordon B. Hinckley, president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Bob Hope, entertainer
Charles A. Lindbergh, aviator
Colin Livingstone, First President of the Executive Board of the BSA, third Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Vince Lombardi, NFL football coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame member
James A. Lovell, Jr., Apollo 13 commander, Eagle Scout, and Distinguished Eagle Scout
Richards Miller, Doc Miller, dentist; one of the founders of Venturing (Boy Scouts of America), one of the authors of Wood Badge in the 21st Century and the 2003 Boy Scout Field Book; Eagle Scout, and Distinguished Eagle Scout
Colin Powell, US Army General and Secretary of State
Edgar M. Robinson, International Secretary of YMCA, second Managing Director of the BSA, eighth Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Norman Rockwell, artist, well-known for his many Scouting paintings
Carlos P. Romulo, Pulitzer Prize-winner and cofounder, Boy Scouts of the Philippines
Donald Rumsfeld, United States Secretary of Defense
Mortimer L. Schiff, long time Vice-President of the Executive Board of the BSA, a Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Charles M. Schulz, cartoonist–Peanuts
Sam Skinner, politician (Secretary of Transportation), businessman (CEO of Commonwealth Edison, CEO of US Freightways), board of directors of Odetics ITS
Ernest Thompson Seton, first Chief Scout of the BSA, founder of the Woodcraft Indians, seventh Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.
Jimmy Stewart, actor, US Air Force Brigadier General
James J. Storrow, second President of the Executive Board of the BSA, fifth Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926. Received posthumously.
James E. West, first Chief Scout Executive of the BSA, twenty-first Silver Buffalo recipient in 1926.

and 13 presidents of the United States.

References

[Full list of Silver Buffalo recipients to 1999]

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