Ralph J. Menconi
Encyclopedia
Ralph J. Menconi was a noted medal
sculptor who received the Freedom Foundation Award and the Michelangelo Award and was awarded with the title “Sculptor of the Year” in 1970. He received the nickname "Sculptor of Presidents," because of the 36 medal series of the presidents he created for Presidential Art Medals.
. He was raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
and attended nearby Scarborough School. At age 18, Menconi began the study of art at the National Academy of Design
, and later at Yale University
where he received a BFA
in 1939. Menconi also studied at the Tiffany Foundation
on Long Island
before beginning military service in Europe and Africa in the Army Corps of Engineers
, where he attained the rank of major and was awarded a bronze star.
of a young goat, “Mocha,” which is in the collection of the Anna Hyatt Huntington
Museum in Brookgreen Gardens
, South Carolina
. His other three-dimensional works include a statue of Christ at the Cathedral of Nassau, Bahamas
, and large busts and fountains on the campuses of Pace University
in NYC
and Pleasantville, NY
, and DePaul University
in Indiana. Beginning in 1951, Menconi and his wife Marjorie Ewen and their children Ralph II and Susan lived in Pleasantville, NY, where Menconi was very active in civic affairs, serving on the village’s Board of Trustees
and as Police Commissioner
. He attached a studio to his early-American house in Pleasantville as a second workspace to supplement his primary studio in Manhattan. His work also includes extensive Biblical sculpture for the reredos
of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church
in Pleasantville.
are in the main lobby of AFL-CIO
headquarters in Washington, DC, and his portraits of the seven original Mercury astronauts
are displayed near launch pad
4 at Cape Kennedy
. His work on the door of St. Joseph’s Church in East Camden, NJ
depicts the life of the saint. The state of Alaska
selected him to create their statehood medal in 1959, and President-elect Richard Nixon
chose Menconi to design his inaugural medal
, which was featured on the cover of Time magazine
on January 24, 1969. He also designed memorial medals for John F. Kennedy
in 1964, and Winston Churchill
in 1965. Among his more than 900 works, Menconi created medals for the National Book Award
, New York University Law School
, Kenyon College
, Hamilton College, the Capitol Historical Society in Washington, and the New York Historical Society
. Ralph was also selected to design the first official medal of the American Bicentennial Commission
.
He became known in the art world
as the “Sculptor of Presidents” because of an important series of medals he produced commemorating all the Presidents of the United States. Presidents Eisenhower
, Johnson and Nixon sat personally for him, and President Johnson also commissioned a portrait medal for his own use. Menconi’s other well-known medallic series depicted every signer of the Declaration of Independence
, and every state in the US, using heroes chosen by the states’ historical societies. He also created a very popular series of medals portraying America’s Apollo mission
in space. At the time of his death at age 57, Menconi was nearing completion of a series of medals celebrating the Great Religions of the World.
in 1970, and won the Freedom Foundation Award, the Michelangelo Award, and the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
. In 1971, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate
of Fine Arts
by Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.
Ralph Menconi died suddenly of heart disease
in his hometown of Pleasantville, NY on November 18, 1972, and is buried in Raymond Hill Cemetery in Carmel, NY
.
Menconi and his family spent many summer vacations on Cape Cod
, where his widow Marjorie now resides. The Cape Museum of Fine Arts in Dennis, Massachusetts
held a retrospective exhibition of his work in 2004.
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
sculptor who received the Freedom Foundation Award and the Michelangelo Award and was awarded with the title “Sculptor of the Year” in 1970. He received the nickname "Sculptor of Presidents," because of the 36 medal series of the presidents he created for Presidential Art Medals.
Early life
Menconi was born to the monumental sculptor Raffaelo E. Menconi and Josephine Zampieri in Union City, NJUnion City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
. He was raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the town of Greenburgh. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 7,849. It lies on U.S. Route 9, "Broadway" in Hastings...
and attended nearby Scarborough School. At age 18, Menconi began the study of art at the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, and later at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he received a BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
in 1939. Menconi also studied at the Tiffany Foundation
The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation
The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation was founded in 1918 by Louis Comfort Tiffany to operate his estate, Laurelton Hall, in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. It was designed to be a summer retreat for artists and craftspeople...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
before beginning military service in Europe and Africa in the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, where he attained the rank of major and was awarded a bronze star.
Sculpting
At age 22, as an apprentice to his father, Menconi created a bronze statueBronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
of a young goat, “Mocha,” which is in the collection of the Anna Hyatt Huntington
Anna Hyatt Huntington
Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington was an American sculptor.-Life and career:Huntington was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her father, Alpheus Hyatt, was a professor of paleontology and zoology at Harvard University and MIT, and served as a contributing factor to her early interest in animals and...
Museum in Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The property includes several themed gardens with American figurative sculptures placed in them, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. His other three-dimensional works include a statue of Christ at the Cathedral of Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, and large busts and fountains on the campuses of Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
in NYC
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Pleasantville, NY
Pleasantville, New York
Pleasantville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 7,019 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Pleasantville is home to a campus of Pace University and to the Jacob Burns Film Center...
, and DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
in Indiana. Beginning in 1951, Menconi and his wife Marjorie Ewen and their children Ralph II and Susan lived in Pleasantville, NY, where Menconi was very active in civic affairs, serving on the village’s Board of Trustees
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
and as Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
. He attached a studio to his early-American house in Pleasantville as a second workspace to supplement his primary studio in Manhattan. His work also includes extensive Biblical sculpture for the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
of the Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
in Pleasantville.
High relief
By the 1960s, Ralph Menconi had achieved a national reputation as a master of high relief portraits. He was much in demand as a designer of medals and plaques, and his work can be found all across the United States. His wood-carved reliefs of William Green and Samuel GompersSamuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was an English-born American cigar maker who became a labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor , and served as that organization's president from 1886 to 1894 and from 1895 until his death in 1924...
are in the main lobby of AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
headquarters in Washington, DC, and his portraits of the seven original Mercury astronauts
Mercury Seven
Mercury Seven was the group of seven Mercury astronauts selected by NASA on April 9, 1959. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1...
are displayed near launch pad
Launch pad
A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....
4 at Cape Kennedy
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
. His work on the door of St. Joseph’s Church in East Camden, NJ
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
depicts the life of the saint. The state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
selected him to create their statehood medal in 1959, and President-elect Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
chose Menconi to design his inaugural medal
Presidential Inaugural Medals
Presidential Inaugural Medals have a long history in the United States. The tradition can be traced back to first president, George Washington, and continues on today with President Barack Obama.-History:...
, which was featured on the cover of Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
on January 24, 1969. He also designed memorial medals for John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
in 1964, and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in 1965. Among his more than 900 works, Menconi created medals for the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
, New York University Law School
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
, Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, Hamilton College, the Capitol Historical Society in Washington, and the New York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library located in New York City at the corner of 77th Street and Central Park West in Manhattan. Founded in 1804 as New York's first museum, the New-York Historical Society presents exhibitions, public programs and research that...
. Ralph was also selected to design the first official medal of the American Bicentennial Commission
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
.
He became known in the art world
Art world
The art world is composed of all the people involved in the production, commission, preservation, promotion, criticism, and sale of art. Howard S. Becker describes it as "the network of people whose cooperative activity, organized via their joint knowledge of conventional means of doing things,...
as the “Sculptor of Presidents” because of an important series of medals he produced commemorating all the Presidents of the United States. Presidents Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, Johnson and Nixon sat personally for him, and President Johnson also commissioned a portrait medal for his own use. Menconi’s other well-known medallic series depicted every signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, and every state in the US, using heroes chosen by the states’ historical societies. He also created a very popular series of medals portraying America’s Apollo mission
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
in space. At the time of his death at age 57, Menconi was nearing completion of a series of medals celebrating the Great Religions of the World.
Awards
During his lifetime, Ralph Menconi received many awards. In 1941, he won the Ellen P. Speyer Award for original sculpture. He was named “Sculptor of the Year” by the American Numismatic AssociationAmerican Numismatic Association
The American Numismatic Association was founded in 1891 by Dr. George F. Heath in Chicago, Illinois. The ANA was formed to advance the knowledge of numismatics along educational, historical and scientific lines, as well as enhance interest in the hobby.The ANA national headquarters and museum is...
in 1970, and won the Freedom Foundation Award, the Michelangelo Award, and the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement
The Academy of Achievement is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by photographer Hy Peskin. He established the Academy of Achievement to bring aspiring young people together with accomplished people...
. In 1971, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Fine Arts
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
by Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.
Ralph Menconi died suddenly of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
in his hometown of Pleasantville, NY on November 18, 1972, and is buried in Raymond Hill Cemetery in Carmel, NY
Carmel, New York
Carmel is a town located in Putnam County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 36,465.There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have populations sizable enough to be thought of as villages.The Town of Carmel...
.
Menconi and his family spent many summer vacations on Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, where his widow Marjorie now resides. The Cape Museum of Fine Arts in Dennis, Massachusetts
Dennis, Massachusetts
Dennis is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; located near the center of Cape Cod. The population was 14,207 at the 2010 census.The town encompasses five distinct villages, each of which has its own post office...
held a retrospective exhibition of his work in 2004.