Who Is Samuel J. Bridge And Why Did He Give Medal To Frank?

I have had this medal for many years, it belonged to my father before me.



Samuel J. Bridge Medal
GIFT OF SAMUEL J. BRIDGE / MDCCCLXXVIIII [1879]
AWARDED TO / Frank O'Donnell / 1895
Silver, darkened over time, 33mm, 18.74gm
The medal has a ring with a piece of frayed ribbon attached.

I finally got around to researching it.

It is inscribed "Frank O'Donnell, 1895".
I knew that Frank was a relative of my father's mother, whose maiden name was O'Donnell.
The family lived in San Francisco in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

The medal is pretty dark, and I didn't know it was silver until I did the research.

Who was Samuel James Bridge?
He lived from June 1, 1809 to November 6, 1893.
He was born and died in Boston, Massachusetts, a member of a wealthy family there.
In 1856 he was assigned to San Francisco as Appraiser General of the Pacific Coast.
He also was the Commissioner in charge of the erection of the Customs House,
Mint, and Marine Hospital in San Francisco.
He established the Bridge Medals in 1879.

Bridge Medal Fund:
From the Twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Schools
City and County of San Francisco, School Year Ending June 30, 1879:

A former resident of San Francisco, for many years holding the office of Appraiser-General
under the Federal Government, taking deep interest in the public schools and desirous of
emulating the distinguished example of [Benjamin] Franklin in founding medals for worthy
public school boys, made a handsome gift to to the city, in the last school year, the
circumstances and purposes of which are fully explained in the following resolution, adopted
by the Board of Supervisors:

Resolution No. 13,550
Whereas, Samuel J. Bridge, of Dresden, County of Lincoln, State of Maine, has donated the
sum of $2,000, gold coin, unto the Mayor ... to be used for the purchase of silver medals
for distribution among the most meritorious boys of the Public Grammar Schools of
San Francisco ... [to be] an honorable mark of proficiency and distinction - "A Bridge Medal"

The San Francisco Public Schools also awarded a similar "Denman Medal" to girls.

Who was Frank O'Donnell?
Frank O'Donnell had to be a relative of my father's mother whose maiden name was O'Donnell.

San Francisco newspaper article:
The San Francisco Call newspaper of June 8, 1895 listed the graduates of the
"Washington Evening School" Ninth Grade including "Bridge medalist" Frank O'Donnell.

Naturally, it is not for sale!