Commems Collection Modern: 2029 Arnold Daniel Palmer - Possible? #07

Bill(s)

- HR 2808 (Introduced April 24, 2023; Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA))

Short Title

- Arnold Daniel Palmer Commemorative Coin Act

Proposed Year of Issue

- 2029

Purpose

To honor Arnold Palmer on the 100th anniversary of his birth and raise funds to support the mission of the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation.


"The Congress finds the following:

(1) On September 10, 1929, Arnold Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Greater Latrobe High School in 1947.

(2) In 1948, Arnold Palmer enrolled at Wake Forest College and was the Tournament medalist at the NCAA Golf Championships in 1949 and 1950. Following a tragic death suffered by his close friend and classmate, Buddy Worsham, Arnold Palmer withdrew from Wake Forest College to pursue a three-year stint in the U.S. Coast Guard.

(3) In 1951, Arnold Palmer attended United States Coast Guard recruit training at Cape May, New Jersey. There, he was assigned the role of physical fitness and self-defense instructor. He would go on to serve three years in the Coast Guard as a yeoman for Rear Admiral Roy L. Raney, Commander of the 9th Coast Guard District Auxiliary in Cleveland, Ohio.

(4) Arnold Palmer credited his successful golf career to his enlisted service, stating: "The knowledge that I gained, the maturity that I gained in the Coast Guard was unbelievable . It matured me. It made me a better person".

(5) On June 23, 2004, Arnold Palmer was the first golfer to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and on September 12, 2012, Arnold Palmer was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in the rotunda of the United States Capitol. He is the first professional athlete to be awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

(6) In his professional golf career, Arnold Palmer won 92 championships in professional competition of national or international stature, 62 of which were on the Professional Golf Association Tour. Arnold Palmer received many honors outside the sporting world, including the Patriot Award of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, and the United States Navy Memorial Lone Sailor Award. Arnold Palmer served for 20 years as the honorary national chairman of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

(7) On September 30, 2009, Congress authorized the Arnold Palmer Bronze Medal and it was presented to him on September 12, 2012.

(8) Arnold Palmer, the son of a country club employee in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, brought golf to people around the world. Today, driven by the generosity of "Arnie's Army", the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation carries on a pioneering tradition of charity, service, and doing right by others.

(9) The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation continues the Palmers' mission to champion youth health and development. By continuing their efforts to ensure every child gets the opportunity to live a life well played—by supporting nature-focused well-being and character development through golf—the Palmer Foundation is committed to keeping the Palmer legacy at the forefront of the global conversation on golf and society at large."

Coins

- Up to 50,000 Gold $5 coins
- Up to 400,000 Silver $1 coins
- Up to 750,000 Clad Copper-Nickel $0.50 coins

Surcharges

- $5 coin: $35
- $1 coin: $10
- $0.50 coin: $5

Sponsor/Beneficiary

- Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation "for application to general expenses associated with the fulfillment of the mission of the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, including costs associated with--

(1) children's health;

(2) character development through the game of golf;

(3) wellness through nature; and

(4) the Palmer legacy in golf and American history."

Comments

As a kid, I was a fan of Arnold. I was primarily a baseball fan, but "Arnie" brought excitement to golf that was difficult to ignore.

Arnold Palmer received a Congressional Gold Medal in September 2012 (it was awarded in September 2009) in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship in golf. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 from President George W. Bush. (The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the two highest civilian honors awarded in the United States.)

With such honors already bestowed, Arnold Palmer's legacy doesn't need the additional honor of being the subject of a US commemorative coin to be solidified, IMO. This bill is all about raising funds for the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation in support of its ongoing programs. While I support the Foundation's objectives, IMO, the Foundation should be supported by private donations/contributions vs. via surcharges gathered from coin collectors. Per its recent available public financial statements, the Foundation received over $1.1 million in contributions in 2020 and over $2.3 million in 2019 - proof that it can raise substantial funds for its programs without a commemorative coin.

Likelihood of Passage?

The House bill currently has 15 co-sponsors.

- Per GovTrack: TBD (as of date of this post)


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Possible? commemorative coin stories, see: Commems Collection.