The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1961, Page 57

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
55
London, and then take technical train-
ing for the second year with consult-
ing engineer and construction firms
in the British Isles, particularly in the
field of prestressed concrete and thin
shell structure. He is the son of Oscar
and Adalbjorg Sigvaldason who live
in the Arborg district.
★
MARIAN IRWIN AWARDED
FREEDOM’S FOUNDATION
GOLD MEDAL
Marian Irwin
Marian Irwin, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Wells of Blaine, was
recently awarded a gold medal by the
Freedom’s Foundation of Valley Forge.
This award is given to outstanding
persons in the United States whose
work in the field of citizenship, racial
equality and general humanity has
been of outstanding value to our na-
tional welfare. The recipients are sel-
ected from multi-thousands of nomi-
nations submitted each year, by a dis-
tinguished National and School
Awards Jury. The Jury is composed of
at least thirty individuals, one third
of whom are chief and associate justices
of state supreme courts. Former Pres-
ident Hoover is on their selection
board and former President Eisen-
hower has been honorary chairman.
In addition to the gold medal award,
Mrs. Irwin received a wall plaque on
which her name was engraved.
The presentation of the gold medal
was made at a public community
gathering in Marysville, Washington,
where Mrs. Irwin is Vice-Principal of
the Marysville Junior High School.
She gave her medal to her mother
along with the silver medal, which she
won at her junior high school gradu-
ation, which was presented to her by
the American Legion for outstanding
citizenship.
She completed high school in three
years and graduated at sixteen. She
received her first teaching contract at
nineteen years of age, after finishing
three years of college. Last summer she
attended Central Washington College
on a National Defence Education schol-
arship, which she was awarded in the
field of guidance and counseling. The
stipend included one thousand dollars,
covering living expenses and tuition.
She will receive a master’s degree in
psychology from that college this year.
This is the second scholarship she
has been granted in this field, having
received a grant to the University of
Colorado in 1958 from the Anti-De-
famation League of B’Nai Brith. While
there she made an intensive study of
the social problems at Little Rock.
Mrs. Irwin and her son Charles are
leaving June 24th for Europe and
Iceland. They will cover eighteen coun-
tries, including North Africa and Rus-
sia, arriving in Iceland for a two-week
visit on August 3. Mrs. Irwin states
that Iceland is the highlight of their
entire trip and she is looking forward
to visiting IsafjorSur, the birthplace
of her mother who was Abigail borSar-
dottir. *