| Administrative History | In 1877 Dr John Jeremiah Bigsby, MD (1792-1881), gave the Society a sum of £200, the interest of which was to be devoted to providing a medal to be given biennially, preferentially to one who had studied American Geology, as 'an acknowledgement of eminent services in any department of Geology, irrespective of the receiver's country; but he must not be older than 45 years at his last birthday, thus probably not too old for further work, and not too young to have done much.' The medal was originally struck in gold (now in silver) and first awarded in 1877. |