Famous Eagle Scouts in History

, , 3 Comments

An Eagle Scout is a scout who has attained the highest achievable rank within The Boy Scouts of America. The Eagle Scout rank was introduced in 1911, and since then more than 2 million scouts have earned this prestigious ranking. To achieve Eagle Scout Rank, a scout is required to earn at least 21 meritorious badges, and to demonstrate true scout spirit through compliance to the Boy Scout Oath and Law. The scout must also render exemplary service and show excellent leadership qualities. The criterion include demonstration of exceptional planning, organizational, and management skills. After the prerequisites have been successfully accomplished, having been titled, an Eagle Scout is issued a certificate signed by the President of States (who is an honorary president of Boy Scouts of America).

1. Arthur Rose Eldred

 Arthur Rose Eldred
Arthur Rose Eldred

Arthur Rose Eldred was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 16, 1895. He died of colon cancer at his home in Clementon, New Jersey on January 4, 1951 at the age of 55. He is best known for being the first Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Eldred had a rich family history with respect to scouting. His elder brother Hubert.W.Eldred, played a major role in starting Troop 1, which impressed Chief Scout Executive James E.West to the extent that he asked the troop to serve as honor guard  for the visit of Baden Powell ( the founder of Scouting). West paid the expenses of the troop to travel to New York where Baden Powell inspected the troop and spoke to Eldred.

It is notable that Eldred’s son and grandson were also Eagle Scouts. He completed 21 badges requirement in April 1912. Arthur Rose Eldred was camping with the troop in Orange Lake, New York. While swimming another boy Melvin Daly, who was non swimmer started drowning. With the assistance of Merritt Cutler, he rescued Daly. In appreciation of this act of fearlessness , presence of mind and helping one in need , Chief Scout Seton Presented Eldred the honor Medal.

2. Alexander Holsinger

Alexander Holsinger
Alexander Holsinger

Only around 2% of Boy Scouts are lucky enough to be Eagle Scouts, and thirteen year old Alexander Holsinger was one of them. He is best known for being the one millionth Eagle Scout. Out of 83,486,083 scouts from 1911 to 2008, only 1,880,906 scouts (about 2.5 %) have attained this rank. Congratulating him on the occasion on telephone, President Ronald Regan said to him, ‘Well, this is Ronald Regan. And, Alex I’m kind of familiar with the place where you are right now. I played football a few times there in Bloomington against Illinois Wesleyan a long time ago. But now as honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, it’s a pleasure to join with all those gathered in Bloomington today to congratulate you on becoming the 1 millionth Eagle Scout in our nation’s history’¦Well it’s been pleasure to be able to participate even from long distance in what’s going on. So please give my best to your family and friends. And again to you, congratulations.’

3. Dudley R. Herschbach

Dudley R. Herschbach
Dudley R. Herschbach

Dudley R. Herschbach was born on June 18, 1932. He won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with Yuan T.Lee and John C. Polanyi ‘for their contributions concerning the dynamics of chemical elementary processes’. He is also an Eagle Scout and received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA). It is awarded to an Eagle Scout who has rendered outstanding services in his profession and to the community, at least for 25 years after being an Eagle Scout.

4.  Peter Agre

 Peter Agre
Peter Agre

Peter Agre was born on January 30, 1949 and is an American Medical Doctor. He was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize for his discovery of aquaporins. Agre is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA). Agre enjoys skiing and participated in the Vasaloppet ski race. Peter Agre was inducted as the 163rd President of the largest national scientific organization- The American Association for the Advancement of sciences (AAAS).

5. Robert Coleman Richardson

Robert Coleman Richardson
Robert Coleman Richardson

Robert Coleman Richardson was born in Washington D.C. on June 26, 1937. He graduated (B.S.) from Virginia Tech in 1958 and received his Master’s degree in 1960. He received his PhD from Duke University in 1965. Shared with David Lee, he won the 1996 Nobel Prize for their discovery of the property of superfluidity in helium -3 atoms. He is an Eagle Scout and mentioned his scouting activities in his biography submitted to the Nobel Foundation prior to receiving the Nobel Prize.

6. Fredrick Reines

Fredrick Reines
Fredrick Reines

Fredrick Reines was born to a Jewish Immigrant family in Paterson, New Jersey on March 16, 1918. He died on August 26, 1998. Reines received his early education at Union Hill High School in New Jersey. Along with Clyde Cowanin, Reines won the 1995 Nobel Prize in physics for being, ‘So intimately associated with the discovery of an elementary particle and subsequent thorough investigation of its fundamental properties’. Reines was an Eagle Scout and also participated in a chorus performing solo roles in Handel’s Messiah.

7. Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, US on August 5, 1930. He is best known for being the first person to step on Moon. Armstrong was the mission commander of the Apollo 11moon landing mission. Together, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended onto the Lunar surface and spent two and half hours exploring moon surface while Michael Collins remained in orbit in the command module.

Armstrong was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by Richard Nixon, along with Collins and Aldrin.President Jimmy Carter awarded Armstrong the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009. Neil Armstrong was an active Boy Scout and earned the rank of Eagle Scout and was honored with Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA) and Silver Buffalo Award. While flying towards the moon in inside the Columbia on July 18, 1969, he greeted the scouts by saying, ‘I’d like to say hello to all my fellow scouts and scouters at Farragut State Park in Idaho having a National Jamboree there this week; and Apollo 11 would like to send them best wishes’. Houston center responded to it,’ Thank you Apollo11. I’m sure that if they didn’t hear that, they’ll get the word through the news. Certainly appreciate that’.

8. Donald Rumsfield

Donald Rumsfield
Donald Rumsfield

Donald Rumsfield was born to George Donald Rumsfield and Jeannette in Evanston, Illinois on July 9, 1932. He received his early education at Baker Demonstration Middle School, and graduated from New Trier High School and Princeton University. He served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W.Bush. He is known for playing an important role in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and his post nine eleven stance against terrorists. He was also considered responsible for torturing prisoners of War in Abu Gareb prison. Rumsfield was an Eagle Scout and earned the Distinguished Eagle Scouts Award and Silver Buffalo award.

9. Gerald R.Ford

Gerald R.Ford
Gerald R.Ford

Gerald R.Ford, the 38th President of the United States was born to Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King in Omaha, Nebraska on July 14, 1913 and died in Rancho Mirage, California on December 26, 2006 at the age of 93. Gerald Ford was educated at Grand Rapids High School and University of Michigan. He was the only US president who was an Eagle Scout. As President, he remained in office from August 9, 1974 to January 20, 1977.In May 1970, Ford received Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Scouting was more than a word for him. About 400 Eagle scouts participated in his funeral procession.

10. Robert Gates

 Robert Gates
Robert Gates

Robert Gates was born to Isabel V and Melville A. Gates. He was the 22nd Secretary of Dense from December 18, 2006 to July 1, 2011 under President George W.Bush and President Barack Obama. He was educated at College of William and Mary (B.A), Indiana University (M.A.) and Georgetown University (Ph.D.). Gates was an Eagle Scout and received Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

Conclusion:

An Eagle Scout is the embodiment of help health, faith, compliance and intellect, as required by the Scout Oath. The Scout Oath proudly declares, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight’. The title of Eagle Scout is a lifelong honor for the holder.

Tea Time Quiz

[forminator_poll id="23176"]
 

3 Responses

  1. Rose Ann Gordon

    December 29, 2013 10:09 pm

    My son Philip will soon be an Eagle Scout. This is a great accomplishment for him. He has adhd and is a little slow at things and easily distracted. His 18th birthday is Jan. 24th

    Reply

Leave a Reply