NEWS

ANDREW CARNEGIE BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM

Following the major upgrading of the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum for 2009 the Hero Fund alcove has been enhanced to include additional information and displays about the work and history of the Fund, a new mount for the Roll of Honour, and a digitised ‘touch screen’ display.

Families of those who have been recognised over the years are encouraged to visit the Museum subject to the guidelines included in the overall Criteria. Presentations recognising new Heroes are increasingly being held in the new Headquarters building of the Carnegie Trusts, Andrew Carnegie House, when there is also an opportunity to view the Roll of Honour.

CARNEGIE HERO FUND TRUST

In 1886, over 20 years before the Carnegie Hero Fund was established in the UK, Carnegie heard about the death of a Dunfermline boy who drowned in a heroic attempt to rescue a young swimmer in difficulties in the Town Loch, Dunfermline. Such was the response to the tragedy that a fund was launched to erect a memorial by public subscription. One of the subscribers was Andrew Carnegie who added the sum of £100 to the appeal. Carnegie’s comments are now inscribed in stone on the local hero’s memorial: “The false heroes of barbarous man are those who can only boast of the destruction of their fellows. The true heroes of civilisation are those alone who save or greatly serve them.”