Recipients of the New York City Police Department's Martin J. Sheridan Medal for Valor

         On July 5, 1921, at a meeting of the Honor Committee of the New York City Police Department, the Martin J. Sheridan Medal for Valor was established in honor of Detective Martin J. Sheridan – the Irish-American Athletic Club’s star Olympic champion who died in 1918 on the eve of his 37th birthday. The minutes of that meeting state that the medal was to be awarded annually “to a member of the Police Force of the City of New York who may distinguish himself by an act performed intelligently in the line of duty at imminent person hazard of life and with knowledge of risk assumed.”
         The medal was first presented in 1922 and regularly awarded until discontinued in 1975.  It was produced by the famous New York City silver and goldsmiths, Dieges & Clust, the same firm that creqated the NYPD badges, and crafted the 1904 Olympic medals. The medal was initially paid for through a trust fund established by the Martin J. Sheridan Memorial Committee, with New York State Supreme Court Justice Daniel F. Cohalan serving as chairman.
         Below is a complete list of all of the recipients of this distinguished medal. This information was graciously provided by the NYPD Office of the Chief of Personnel and the New York City Police Museum.

Note: The dates listed below are when the acts of valor were performed, not the dates the medals were awarded.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of any of the medals, or are related to any of the recipients, please email: wingedfist@gmail.com.