William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes


The William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes, commonly referred to as the Harmon Award or Harmon Foundation Award, was a philanthropic and cultural award created in 1926 by William E. Harmon and administered by the Harmon Foundation. It was offered for distinguished achievements in eight different fields: literature, music, fine arts, business and industry, science and innovation, education, religious service, and race relations.
Although awards were created in eight categories, it is best known for its impact on African-American art of the Harlem Renaissance, and particularly on the visual arts. During its existence the Harmon award was largely considered synonymous with Negro visual art:
...the introduction of the Harmon foundation awards in 1926, which were always dispensed with a flurry of publicity, marked the beginning of a new era for Negro visual art. With its private endowment, popular social mission, and interracial alliances, possessed a much greater public relations capacity than any other prior initiatives....Due in large part to the activities of the Harmon Foundation, African Americans emerged as a distinct presence in the American art world.

Among the many recipients of the awards in literature and the fine arts were Claude McKay, Hale Woodruff, Palmer Hayden, Archibald Motley, Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes.
The awards were closely associated with an annual Exhibition of the Work of Negro Artists, conceived by Mary Brady. Exhibitions were held in 1927 through 1931, 1933, and 1935, and featured "substantial prizes" together with gold and bronze medals. According to Gates and Higginbotham, "...submissions in the fine arts category was the chief venue open to African American artists"
Awards were given solely on the basis of achievements in the previous year. The first year the awards were granted the judges of the awards proposed giving Gold award for literature to Charles W. Chesnutt, "...to acknowledge his pioneering work and continuing example to other African American writers". Their intention was to waive the requirement that the award be granted solely for works completed during the previous year. However, the Harmon Foundation did not accept this proposal, and Chesnutt never learned of this "acknowledgment of high esteem from a distinguished panel of his literary peers both black and white."
Recipients of the award in every field except race relations were required to be African American – the latter could be awarded to "...any person of American residence, regardless of color, who has made an outstanding contribution toward improving relations between the white and Negro people in America." Thus Robert Russa Moton was the first African American to receive the race relations award. He was preceded by Will W. Alexander in 1927, and a dual award to Julius Rosenwald and James Hardy Dillard in 1927, all of whom who were Caucasian.
Gold and Bronze medals were awarded in the various categories. The Gold carried a $400 cash prize ; the Bronze prize was $100. The award for race relations had a much larger honorarium: it varied between $500 and $1,000.
A description of the Bronze medal won by A.M.E. Bishop John Hurst in 1926 appeared in the January 8, 1927, edition of the Baltimore, Maryland Afro-American:
The medal is of unusually beautiful design. On the obverse side is embossed a ship in full sail on the open sea with the inscription "Harmon Foundation" around the margin. On the reverse side are the words "Inspiration, Achievement Religious Service. Second award, 1926, John Hurst".

Administered during its first five years by Dr. George E. Haynes, the awards program was discontinued in 1933, which would have been the year of the 1932 awards. However, no awards had been granted in the previous year. A New York Times article in 1931 described the race relation category of the awards as "biennial".
A full list of the winners of each year was offered in contemporary New York Times articles.
DateCategoryAwardPrizeRecipientNotes
1926Race relationsFirst AwardGold Medal, $500Will W. AlexanderDirector of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation
1926Fine ArtsFirst AwardGold MedalPalmer C. HaydenSchooners
1926Fine ArtsSecond AwardBronze MedalHale WoodruffTwo Women
1926LiteratureFirst AwardGold MedalCountee Cullenon the basis of his first book
1926LiteratureSecond AwardBronze MedalJames Weldon Johnsonfor his "introductory essay to his books on Negro Spirituals"
1926EducationFirst AwardGold MedalVirginia Estelle Randolph
1926EducationSecond AwardBronze MedalArthur Schomberg"for his collection of publications on Negro life and history"
1926Industry, including businessFirst AwardGold MedalC. C. Spaulding
1926Industry, including businessSecond AwardBronze MedalArchie Alexander
1926Religious servicesFirst AwardGold MedalMax Yergan
1926Religious servicesSecond AwardBronze MedalBishop John Hurst
1926Science, including InventionFirst AwardGold MedalJames C. Evansfor research in electrical engineering, for "two theses in regenerative circuits in radio, submitted for the bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering."
1926Science, including InventionSecond AwardBronze MedalW. A. Danielfor his social study on "The Education of Negro Ministers."
1926Musicno awards
1927Race relationsFirst AwardGold Medal, $500James Hardy Dillard.President, the Jeanes Fund and the John F. Slater Fund, Charlottesville, VA
1927Race relationsSpecial AwardGold MedalJulius RosenwaldPhilanthropist, chairman of the Board of Directors of Sears-Roebuck, Chicago, IL.
1927Fine ArtsFirst AwardGold MedalLaura Wheeler Waring
1927Fine ArtsSpecial AwardGold MedalWilliam Edouard ScottThough Work and Guzman scrupulously document the cash awards received, no mention of a cash award is made for Scott. His was a "special award of a gold medal", falling outside of the normal scope for the award: "... because of the finished and excellent character of his paintings and the recognition already received. Mr. Scott was considered by the judges to be outside the purpose of the awards but deserving of distinction."
1927Fine ArtsSecond AwardBronze MedalJohn Wesley Hardrick
1927LiteratureFirst AwardGold MedalJames Weldon JohnsonFor his poetry collection, God's Trombones.
1927LiteratureSecond AwardBronze MedalEric Derwent WalrondFor a collection of stories, Tropic Death.
1927EducationFirst AwardGold MedalJohn Warren Davis
1927EducationSecond AwardBronze MedalBenjamin BrawleyBrawley declined the award: "... a well-known educator and writer, Brawley declined the second-place award because, he said, he had never done anything but first-class work."
1927Industry, including businessFirst AwardGold MedalAnthony Overton
1927Industry, including businessSecond AwardBronze MedalWilliam Gaston Pearson
1927Religious servicesFirst AwardGold MedalReverend William N. DeBerry"distinguished service in religion and social welfare among Negroes of the United States".
1927Religious servicesSecond AwardBronze MedalRobert E. Jones
1927Science, including InventionFirst AwardGold MedalJames A. Parsonsadvances made with rust-resistant or non-corrosive metals: James Parsons, Jr., a metallurgist, winner of the Harmon Award in Science 1927.. for many years been in charge of research and production for the Duriron Company of Dayton, Ohio. He... holds many patents in a highly competitive field and has opened new avenues for our men"
1927Science, including InventionSecond Awardno award
1927MusicFirst AwardGold MedalR. Nathaniel Dettfor vocal and instrumental compositions.
1927MusicFirst AwardGold MedalClarence C. Whitefor work as a violinist and composer.
1927MusicSecond AwardBronze MedalE.H. Margetsonfor work in composing orchestrations for symphonies for both instruments and voices.
1927MusicSecond AwardBronze MedalWilliam Grant Still
1928Race relationsno award
1928Fine ArtsFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Archibald J. Motleyof Chicago, IL, for "The Octoroon Girl" and other paintings
1928Fine ArtsSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100May Howard Jacksonof Washington, D.C.l for "Bust of Dean Kelly Miller, Howard University," and other sculptures
1928LiteratureFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Claude McKayformerly of New York, NY, for "power, skill, and originality in verse and prose" in Harlem Shadows and Home to Harlem.
1928LiteratureSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Nella Larson Imesof New York, NY, for her novel, Quicksand
1928EducationFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Monroe N. WorkTuskegee Institute, Alabama, GA, for The Negro Yearbook and Bibliography of the Negro in Africa and America.
1928EducationSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100John Manuel GandyPresident, Virginia State College, Ettricks, VA,
1928Industry, including businessFirst AwardGold Medal, $400S.W. Rutherfordof Washington, DC, Secretary & Business Manager of the National Benefit Life Insurance Company.
1928Industry, including businessSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Frederick Massiahof Philadelphia, PA, for "outstanding work in building engineering, especially concrete construction."
1928Religious servicesFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Lacy Kirk WilliamsRev. Dr. of Chicago, IL
1928Religious servicesFirst AwardGold Medal, $400James Solomon RussellArchdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, Lawrenceville, VA
1928Religious servicesSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Channing H. TobiasSecretary of the National Council of the YMCA, New York, NY
1928Science, including Inventionno awards
1928MusicFirst Awardno award
1928MusicSecond AwardBronze MedalJ. Harold BrownMusical Director, Attucks High School, Indianapolis, IN
1928Honorable MentionsAlbert Alexander Smithof New York, NY
1928Honorable MentionsMalvin Gray Johnsonof New York, NY
1928Honorable MentionsJames L. Allenof New York, NY
1928Honorable MentionsE.T. McDowellof New York, NY
1929Race relationsFirst AwardGold Medal, $1000Robert Russa MotonPrincipal of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, GA
1929Fine ArtsFirst AwardGold Medal, $400William H. Johnsonof New York, NY
1929Fine ArtsSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Albert Alexander Smithof Manhasset, L.I., NY
1929Fine ArtsSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Sargent Johnsonof Berkeley, CA
1929LiteratureFirst Awardno award
1929LiteratureSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Walter Francis WhiteRope and Faggot: A Biography of Judge Lynch, of New York, NY'
1929EducationFirst AwardGold Medal, $400William Jasper HalePresident, Agricultural & Industrial State College, Nashville, Tennessee
1929EducationFirst AwardGold Medal, $400John HopePresident, Atlanta University, GA
1929EducationSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Janie Porter Barrettof Peak's Turn out, VA
1929Industry, including businessFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Truman K. GibsonMerged three companies to form The Supreme Life Liberty Insurance Company, Chicago, IL
1929Industry, including businessSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100John Charles Claybrookof Proctor, AK
1929Religious servicesFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Bishop Robert E. JonesBishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, New Orleans, LA
1929Religious servicesSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100A. Clayton Powellof New York, NY
1929Science, including InventionFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Theodore K. LawlessDermatologist, Research and Lecture Fellow at the Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
1929Science, including InventionSecond Awardno award
1929MusicFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Harry Thacker BurleighSoloist, St. George Episcopal Church, New York, NY, Lecturer on Negro Music, Arranger of Negro Spirituals
1929MusicFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Harry Lawrence FreemanComposer of the first Negro Opera, New York, NY
1929MusicSecond AwardBronze Medal, $100Carl Rossini Ditonof New York, NY
1930Race relationsno awards
1930Fine ArtsFirst AwardGold Medal, $400James Lesesne Wellsfor The Wanderers
1930LiteratureFirst AwardGold MedalLangston Hughesfor Not Without Laughter
1930EducationFirst AwardGold MedalHenry A. Hunt
1930Industry, including businessFirst AwardGold MedalAlbon Holsey
1930Religious servicesFirst AwardGold Medal, $400Henry C. McDowell
1930Science, including InventionFirst AwardGold MedalCharles S. Johnson
1930MusicFirst AwardGold MedalHall Johnson
1930Agriculture'''First AwardGold MedalThomas Monroe Campbell"the first Harmon Award ever presented for distinguished achievement in the field of farming and rural life."