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Did you Mary Clark Thompson, Sonnenberg's original owner, i
s the same Mary Clark Thompson for whom the National Academy of Science named their award of the same name?
She donated the funds for the award in 1919 and a gold medal used to be awarded annually but is now presented every three years, along with a $15,000 prize (courtesy of Mary Clark Thompson's endowment) to honor important services to geology and paleontology. Here is a link to an
American Association for the Advancement of Science publication from 1919, which briefly mentions the award.
Mrs. Thompson was a great philanthropist and gave to innumerable causes in Canandaigua and beyond, many of which were related to the fields of healthcare and science.
Submitted by Cindy Hunt, Curator