Celebrate Oswego's Own Dr. Mary Walker: Exclusive Quarter Release Event at Local High School

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On June 8, 2024, Oswego High School’s Robinson-Faust Theater in Oswego will host an event to release the Dr. Mary Walker quarter. This event is organized by the National Women’s History Museum, the U.S. Mint, the Oswego Town Historical Society, and the Oswego County Historical Society. It will honor Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, an American pioneer and the only woman recipient of the Medal of Honor. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. and is free to the public.

Dr. Mary Walker's life and contributions to American history are the focus of this event. She is one of five women featured in the U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program. The quarter shows her in a surgeon's uniform, with a Medal of Honor and a surgeon’s pin, holding a surgical kit. This design highlights her roles as a Civil War surgeon, women’s rights activist, and abolitionist.

The June 8 event will include the unveiling of the new quarter, performances by Oswego High School student musicians, presentations by living history interpreters, and speeches from a panel of speakers. Descendants of Dr. Walker will attend, and a special presentation will honor them.

Attendees can receive a Dr. Walker quarter for free, while supplies last, before it enters wider circulation later in the month. This provides a chance for collectors and admirers of Dr. Walker’s legacy to acquire the first coins released.