Frank Gaylord

Frank Chalfant Gaylord II (March 9, 1925 – March 21, 2018) was an American sculptor best known for "The Column", a sculptural tableau of United States soldiers and sailors which is part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Career Gaylord was born in March 1925 to Richard and Thelma (Hamilton) Gaylord in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He was named for his grandfather, Frank C. Gaylord. He graduated from Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg.

Gaylord was drafted at the age of 18 into the United States Army. He saw action in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded, and spent several months in military hospitals convalescing.

Gaylord and his wife moved to Barre, Vermont, in 1951. Interested in a career in sculpting granite, Gaylord apprenticed under noted Vermont sculptor Bruno Sarzanini.

Early in his career, Gaylord carved tombstones.

Copyright infringement lawsuit against USPS In 2002, the United States Postal Service used a photograph of Gaylord's soldier sculptures for a stamp commemorating the Korean War. Gaylord sued for copyright infringement in 2006. The United States Court of Federal Claims denied his claim, but this was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Gaylord v. United States, 595 F.3d 1364 (Fed. Cir. 2010). On remand, the Court of Federal Claims awarded Gaylord $5,000 in compensation. But on appeal, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit again vacated the decision and remanded the case back to the Court of Federal Claims for a new determination of damages based on what Gaylord and the Postal Service might have negotiated. On September 20, 2013, The United States Court of Federal Claims awarded Gaylord damages of .

Personal life and honors Gaylord was married to Mary Cornwell. The couple had three children, Leanne Gaylord Triano and Victoria Gaylord. Also, his son, John Richard Gaylord died in 1962. He has two grandchildren, Amy Triano Tefft M.D., her husband Cory, his great granddaughters Quinn Nicole Tefft, Isabel Mary Tefft, great grandsons Theodore John Tefft, Henry Hart Tefft, and grandson John Gaylord Triano. Gaylord worked in a studio in Barre, Vermont. He was 93. He was buried in the Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont.

Notable works This is a partial list of Gaylord's works which have received public notice: Governor Thomas Chittenden (Montpelier, Vermont) Christopher Columbus (Waterbury, Connecticut) – decapitated in July 2020 amid protests in Connecticut over the murder of George Floyd. President Calvin Coolidge (Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts) General Ernest N. Harmon (Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont) Grizzly Bear (York, Pennsylvania) Little League Monument (Williamsport, Pennsylvania) William Penn (Penn Treaty Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Pioneer Family (Akron, Ohio)