Mississippi Society, Sons of the American Revolution

     The State Medal of Distinguished Service, authorized in 1998, is the highest Medal that can be awarded by a State Society President during each year of his term of office.

     The incumbent State President may present one medal during his term (or each year of his term if elected to a multiyear term) at the Society’s Annual Meeting, to a Compatriot in recognition for that Compatriot's conspicuous service to the State Society during the President's administration.

     The SMDS is awarded by a State Society President at his discretion; no other approval is required. A Compatriot may receive this medal only once. Oak leaf clusters or other ribbon attachments are not authorized.

MS  SAR    Prestigious   Award   Recipients

     The Patriot Medal is awarded only by a state society. It is the highest award given for service at the state or chapter level. This medal is presented only to individuals and may be received only once. It represents long, faithful and outstanding service at the state and/or chapter level. Service at the national level cannot be considered in making the award.

     The medal is sterling silver and bears the portrait of Compatriot General of the Army Douglas MacArthur on the obverse within the inscription, “The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.” The reverse is inscribed “Awarded to for Patriotic Service by the Society SAR.” The medal is suspended from a chest ribbon of royal blue color. The design for the medal was selected by Compatriot MacArthur. He received the first medal, presented posthumously at his tomb in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 19, 1964, where it is on permanent display. The Patriot Medal is available in full and miniature sizes.

2002 - Dr. Andrew M. Jones                          2005 - Dr. Thomas Lawrence, Jr             2008 - John R. Taylor, Jr.
2009 - Stewart Lynwood Herron                  2012 - Charles F. Garrison                      2013 - CDR Gerald P. Brent
2014 - Lawrence Hellums                             2015 - William B. Lyle                              2016 - Michael Perry Schenk
2018 - Hon. Joseph Edmund Winston         2018 - Dr. John F. Fulwider                     2019 - Dr. Bryant R. Boswell
            (by incoming Pres. Garrison)                  (by outgoing Pres. Winston)

2021 - Ben Jones II

No Records available prior to 2002

           1960                            1971                        1975                    1981                         1990                           1992            

Horace Y. Ketchell       Donald R. Fraser         Cyril E. Cain        Tullius Brady        James G. Harrison   Paul Howard Walker

President General                                                                  Chancellor General
 NS SAR 1961-62                                                                        NS SAR 1975-77 

The medal is rectangular in shape, struck in sterling silver.  It depicts a Minuteman holding a rifle with a plow in the background.  The Liberty Bell appears on it also.  On the reverse is inscribed “Highest Award of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution.  Presented to (National Number, Year).”  The medal is worn suspended from a neck ribbon of light blue silk.  It is awarded only to individual members on a one-time basis.

     The SAR Minuteman Award is the highest award presented to a member by the SAR. It is presented for distinguished service rendered to the SAR on the national level. Members are selected by the SAR's Minuteman Committee, made up of previous medal recipients and appointed by the SAR President General. The medal is presented by the President General at an annual Congress. It is not presented in absentia. The Minuteman Award was authorized in 1952 and, beginning in 1968, the medal is awarded to no more than six recipients every year. It is awarded to individual members on a one-time basis.

1967 - J. B. Butler                                      1965 - L.L. McNees                                       1970 - Walter Scott Welch
1971 - William Edwin Belt                        1974 - Singleton L. Johnson, Jr.                    1976 - Oswalt M. Smith
1971 - James Lloyd Davis                         1982 - Frank Haynes Sleeper                       1985 - James G. Harrison
1987 - Hon. W. L. McIlwain                      1989 - Dr. W. Cleveland, Jr.                           1990 - Patrick M. Harrison
1992 - Marcus D. Ramage, Jr.                  1994 - Col. Douglas A. Harper                      1995 - Charles E. Fiske
1997 - W. B. Meek                                     1999  - William Barber Lyle                          2000 - Dr. Andrew M. Jones
2002 - Dr. Thomas Lawrence, Sr.            2009 - William Lee Jenkins                            2012 - John R. Taylor, Jr.
2013 - Charles F. Garrison                       2015 - CDR Gerald P. Brent                          2019 - Chauncey Rivers Godwin, Jr.
2019 - Michael Perry Schenk                   2019 - Hon. Joseph Edmund Winston         2019 - Stewart Lynwood Herron
2019 - Hon. James Lamar Roberts Jr.      2021- Isiah Edwards – 2021