Vail Medal research

[Fabius]

A couple of months I posted that I had bought off of eBay a named bronze Vail Medal and that I was starting research. FYI the Vail Medal was AT&T/Bell System's highest award for outstanding public service which included acts of valor. It is still awarded today by AT&T and other companies such as Verizon who have roots back to the Bell System.

The medal is named to Virginia M. Gridley. Since I bought the item from a pawn shop in Detroit I suspected Virginia was from Michigan.  I sure she wouldn't mind my using her first name as I've gotten to know her.  Using the internet I quickly found only two woman in the US with that name and one was in Michigan so I concentrated on that one. I quickly found out her date of birth and death (2003 at 72). Her religious affiliation (Catholic). Where she lived with her husband Charles. Also that her house sold 3 months after she died. And thru Find A Grave her burial location with a picture of her tombstone.  But absolutely nothing about her working for a telephone company or receiving the award.

I started checking for people named Gridley in Michigan. I found real estate home for sale ads with a realtor with the same last name in the area Virginia lived. Turns out this woman was married to the brother of Virginia's husband. This woman told me Virginia worked for Michigan Bell but knew nothing about what Virginia did nor how she got the award. She said when Virginia died her estate was handled by Virginia's sister, I'm sure once the medal passed out of Virginia's hands, possibly at an estate sale, that person had no clue what it was worth nor it's historical significance. And sold it to the pawn shop for a few bucks.

Finally the big break! I had emailed AT&T archives. AT&T has two archives, one in New Jersey and one in San Antonio, Texas. But got not response. I tried again in a few weeks and this time I got a response. The archivist sent me a copy of the Michigan Bell Telephone  employee magazine that had an article about Virginia winning the Vail Medal and what she did to earn it. (Now to get a hard copy of that issue) She saved a man's life by properly administering mouth to mouth resuscitation. Virginia was a repair center supervisor in Detroit. Great article though I wish Virginia's picture was clearer. 

The archivist told me AT&T has very complete records of the silver and gold Vail Medal recipients since the silver and gold medals were awarded by AT&T and not the operating companies. Their records on bronze Vail Medal recipients is incomplete because those medals where awarded by the operating companies.

[Fabius]

The pdf file the Michigan Bell Telephone magazine article on Virginia's life saving actions.