The Silver Buffalo Award
Since 1926, the Boy Scouts of America has awarded the Silver Buffalo Award
for distinguished service to youth. Each year, this award for noteworthy
service of a national or worldwide character is made to men and women associated
with Scouting and to others not directly associated with Scouting.
1926
- Sir Robert S.S. Baden-Powell
- Gilwell Park, England
- Chief Scout of the World
- Daniel Carter Beard *
- Suffern, New York
- National Scout Commissioner
- William D. Boyce
- Chicago, Illinois
- Publisher; Incorporator of Boy Scouts of America
- Howard S. Braucher
- New York, New York
- Chairman, Committee on Organization, Boy Scouts of America
- George J. Fisher
- New York, New York
- Physician; Deputy Chief Scout Executive
- John Sherman Hoyt *
- Darien, Connecticut
- Manufacturer; Chairman, Finance Committee, Boy Scouts of America
- Jeremiah W. Jenks *
- New York, New York
- Educator; Formulator of Scout Oath and Law
- Joseph Lee
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Advocate of Playground and Outdoor Recreation
- Colin H. Livingstone *
- Washington, D.C.
- Financier
- Milton A. McRae *
- Detroit, Michigan
- Publisher; President, Boy Scouts of America
- William D. Murray *
- Plainfield, New Jersey
- Lawyer; Chairman, Editorial Board, Boy Scouts of America
- George D. Pratt *
- New York, New York
- Treasurer, Boy Scouts of America
-
Frank Presbrey *
- New York, New York
- Advertising Man; Developer of Boys' Life
-
G. Barrett Rich *
- New York, New York
- Chairman, National Committee of Badges, Awards, and Scout Requirements
-
Edgar M. Robinson *
- Washington, D.C.
- Co-organizer, Boy Scouts of America
-
Mortimer L. Schiff *
- New York, New York
- Philanthropist; President, Boy Scouts of America
-
The Unknown Scout
- Boy Scout
-
Ernest Thompson Seton
- New York, New York
- Chief Scout
-
James J. Storrow (Posthumous
Award)
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Banker; President, Boy Scouts of America
-
James E. West *
- New York, New York
- Lawyer; Chief Scout Executive
-
George W. Wingate
- New York, New York
- Advocate of Organized Outdoor Recreation
1927
-
Brother Barnabas,
F.S.C.
- New York, New York
- Educator; Director, Catholic Bureau, Boy Scouts of America
-
Stuart
W. French
- Pasadena, California
- Business Executive; Organizer of Region 12
-
Walter W. Head
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Banker; President, Boy Scouts of America
-
Hubert S. Martin, C.B.E.
- London, England
- Director, Boy Scouts International Bureau
-
Bolton Smith
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Banker; Promoter of Interracial Understanding
-
William Howard Taft
- Washington, D.C.
- Chief Justice of the United States; First Honorary President, Boy
Scoutsof America
-
William Adams Welch
- Washington, D.C.
- National and State Parks Commissioner
1928
-
W. de Bonstetten
- Kandersteg, Switzerland
- President, Swiss Federation of Boy Scouts
-
Arthur N. Cotton
- Buffalo, New York
- Promoter of High-Y Clubs
-
William H. Cowles
- Spokane, Washington
- Publisher; First Chairman, Region 11 Committee
-
Clarence H. Howard
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Philanthropist; Founder of Junior Chamber of Commerce
-
Charles A. Lindbergh
- Hopewell, New Jersey
- Aviator; Transatlantic Pioneer
-
The Unknown
Soldier
- Patriot
-
Charles
D. Velie
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Philanthropist; Promoter of Scouting for Rural Boys
1929
-
Richard
E. Byrd
- Winchester, Virginia
- Commander, U.S. Navy; Antarctic Explorer
-
Calvin Coolidge
- Plymouth, Vermont
- 30th President, United States of America
-
John H. Finley
- New York, New York
- Educator; Founder of Junior American Red Cross
-
Howard F. Gillette
- Chicago, Illinois
- Banker; Promoter of Sea Scouting
-
Charles D. Hart
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Physician; Promoter of Troop Camping
-
Wilbert E. Longfellow
- Washington, D.C.
- Water-Safety Promoter, American Red Cross
-
H.R.H. The Prince
- of Wales
- Scouting Enthusiast
1930
-
Lewis Warrington Baldwin
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Railroad President; Regional Chairman
-
Herbert Clark Hoover
- West Branch, Iowa
- 31st President, United States of America
-
Charles C. Moore
- San Francisco, California
- Engineer; Scouter
-
Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Hyde Park, New York
- Governor, State of New York; Advocate of Scouting
-
James Earl
Russell
- New York, New York
- Educator; Scouter
-
Charles
L. Sommers
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Business Executive; Chairman, Region 10
-
James Austin Wilder
- New York, New York
- Developer and Organizer of Sea Scouting
1931
-
Griffith Ogden Ellis
- Detroit, Michigan
- Editor and Publisher, American Boy Magazine
-
Lewis Gawtry
- New York, New York
- Banker; Philanthropist
-
Lord Hampton, D.S.O.
- London, England
- Distinguished British Scouter
-
George Welch Olmsted
- Warren, Pennsylvania
- Utilities Executive; World Scouter
-
Victor F. Ridder
- New York, New York
- Newspaper Publisher; Catholic Scouter
-
Robert P. Sniffen
- Yonkers, New York
- Merchandising Consultant; Chairman, Committee on Supply Service
-
Mell R. Wilkinson
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Manufacturer; National Executive Board Member
1932
-
Frank A. Bean
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Business Executive; Advocate of Rural Scouting
-
Barron Collier
- New York, New York
- Philanthropist; Promoter of Scouting
-
Alfred W.
Dater
- Stamford, Connecticut
- Utilities Executive; First Chairman, Sea Scout Committee
-
Dwight
Filley Davis
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Public Servant; Advocate of Athletics
-
William Edwin Hall
- Greenwich, Connecticut
- Lawyer; President, Boys' Clubs of America
-
Hermann W. Merkel
- New York, New York
- Creative Administrator of Parks and Camps
1933
-
Cyrus Adler
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Educator; Chairman, Jewish Committee on Scouting
-
Martin H. Carmody
- New York, New York
- Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
-
Vincent Massey
- Toronto, Canada
- Canadian Diplomat; Philanthropist
-
John A. McGregor
- San Francisco, California
- Region 12 Scouter; Friend to Youth
-
Reginald H. Parsons
- Seattle, Washington
- Developer of Scouting in Pacific Northwest
-
John P. Wallace
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Publisher; Advocate of Rural Scouting
1934
-
Newton D. Baker
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Statesman; Humanitarian
-
Charles E. Cotting
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Philanthropist; Promoter of New England Scouting
-
Paul Percy
Harris
- Chicago, Illinois
- Lawyer; Founder of Rotary Club Movement
-
Frederic
Kernochan
- New York, New York
- Jurist; Pioneer Scouter; Urban League Executive
-
John M. Phillips
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Conservationist; Recipient of Silver Wolf Award
-
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
- Oyster Bay, New York
- Public Servant; Explorer
-
George Albert Smith
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Business Executive; Religious Leader; Scouter
1935
-
Calvin Derrick
- Jamesburg, New Jersey
- Educator; Penologist; Innovator
-
R. Tait McKenzie
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Educator; Sculptor of Boy Scout Statue
-
Amos Alonzo Stagg
- Stockton, California
- Educator; Dean of American Coaches
-
Booth Tarkington
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author; Immortalizer of Youth
-
Daniel A. Tobin
- New York, New York
- Banker; Scouter; Cofounder, Columbian Squires
-
Fielding Harris Yost
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Scout Commissioner; Exponent of Clean Sports
1936
-
Frederick Russell
Burnham
- Three Rivers, California
- American-British Adventurer
-
Hugh S. Cumming
- Washington, D.C.
- United States Surgeon General
-
Lawrence
Locke Doggett
- Springfield, Massachusetts
- Educator; Pioneer for Training for Boys' Work
-
Charles Horace Mayo
- Rochester, Minnesota
- Surgeon; Health Authority; Pioneer Scouter
-
George Edgar Vincent
- Greenwich, Connecticut
- Educator; Adviser to Scouting for Health and Safety
-
John Skinner Wilson
- Gilwell Park, England
- Gilwell Camp Chief; World Scouter
1938
-
George A. Allen
- Washington, D.C.
- Presidential Representative for First National Jamboree
-
Frank Cody
- Detroit, Michigan
- Educator; Innovator with Schools and Scouting
-
Frank G. Hoover
- Canton, Ohio
- Longtime Scouter; Friend to Youth
-
William T. Hornaday
- Stamford, Connecticut
- Zoologist and Conservationist; Pioneer; Scouter
-
Cornelius McGillicuddy
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- "Connie Mack"-Advocate of Good Sportsmanship
-
C.B. Smith
- Washington, D.C.
- Public Servant; Physician; Worker for Rural Scouting
-
John A. Stiles
- Ottawa, Canada
- Canadian Scouting Official; Recipient of Silver Wolf Award
-
Thomas E. Wilson
- Chicago, Illinois
- Promoter for Rural Youth and 4-H Clubs
1939
-
William
Chalmers Covert
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Clergyman; Scouter
-
Marshall Field
- New York, New York
- Business Executive; Philanthropist; Scouter
-
Elbert K. Fretwell
- New York, New York
- Educator; Scouter; Training Innovator
-
Heber J. Grant
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Industrialist; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Official
-
Francis C. Kelley
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Bishop of Oklahoma City and Tulsa; Scouter
-
John R. Mott
- New York, New York
- Missionary; Statesman; World Youth Leader
-
Norman Rockwell
- Arlington, Vermont
- Artist; Prime Creator of Scouting's Image
1940
-
Edward Roberts Moore
- New York, New York
- Catholic Clergyman; Youth Worker; Scouter
-
Eugene D. Nims
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Philanthropist; Scouter
-
George W. Truett
- Dallas, Texas
- Clergyman; World Youth Leader; Scouter
1941
-
C. Ward Crampton
- New York, New York
- Scientist; Author; Physical Fitness Advocate
-
Homer Folks
- New York, New York
- Social Welfare Statesman
-
Daniel
A. Poling
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Clergyman; Editor; Scouter
-
Edgar
Rickard
- Darien, Connecticut
- Mining Engineer; Humanitarian; Friend to Scouting
-
J.E.H. Stevenot
- Manila, Philippines
- Creator of Modern Philippine Scout Organization
1942
-
Frank O. Lowden
- Oregon, Illinois
- Farmer; Lawyer; Statesman; Philanthropist; Scouter
-
Ragnvald Anderson Nestos
- Minot, North Dakota
- Lawyer; Statesman; Church Worker; Pioneer in Rural Scouting
-
Frank Phillips
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Banker; Philanthropist; Enthusiast for Scouting
-
Bernard J. Sheil
- Chicago, Illinois
- Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago; Founder of CYO; Scouter
-
William Clay Smoot
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Banker; Outdoorsman; Worker for Rural Youth
1943
-
J. Edgar Hoover
- Washington, D.C.
- Lawyer; Criminologist; Director, FBI
-
Harry C. Knight
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Business Executive; Philanthropist; Scouter
-
John M. Schiff
- New York, New York
- Banker; President, Boy Scouts of America
-
William L. Smith
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Surgeon; Public Servant; Author; Scouter
-
Frank W.
Wozencraft
- Dallas, Texas
- Businessman; Lawyer; Statesman; Scouter
1944
-
Oscar
H. Benson
- Seven Stars, Pennsylvania
- Educator; Founder, 4-H Clubs
-
Charles Evans Hughes
- Glens Falls, New York
- Jurist; Statesman; Diplomat; Champion of Youth
-
William C. Menninger
- Topeka, Kansas
- Neuropsychiatrist; Scouter
-
Elbridge W. Palmer
- Kingsport, Tennessee
- Publisher; Worker for Disabled Youth, Racial Harmony, and Scouting
-
Philip L. Reed
- Chicago, Illinois
- Business Executive; Scouter; Member, Advisory Council
-
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
- New York, New York
- Aviation Pioneer; Executive; Wartime Ace of Aces; Scouter
-
Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks,
6th Baron Somers
- London, England
- Chief Scout of the British Empire
-
Thomas J. Watson
- New York, New York
- Business Executive; Philanthropist; Educator; Scouter
1945
-
Francis W. Hatch
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Publicist; Scouter; Chairman, Boys' Life Committee
-
Amory Houghton
- Corning, New York
- Manufacturer; Philanthropist; Vice President, Boy Scouts of America
-
Paul W. Litchfield
- Akron, Ohio
- Industrialist; Developed First Air Scout Squadron