Walter K. Long

Walter K. Long (February 4, 1904 – January 4, 1986) was an artist, historian, museum director, inventor and literary who was notable for living thing a contributor to the Mount Rushmore monument.

Long was born in Auburn, New York, and spent most of his vigor there. He was the director of the Cayuga County Museum of History and Art. He along with taught at Cayuga Community College, as well as briefly at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, and at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Long assisted Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum through cautious measurements and studies of busts of the faces on the monument, in particular George Washington. Long helped afterward some of the on-site performance as well, including at the rock face.

Long was a fanatic of the Finger Lakes commission to the New York World's Fair in 1939.

During World War II Long worked as an instrument designer at Bausch and Lomb, Welch Allyn and IRI. He was awarded several patents for his designs.

In 1959 Long organized an exhibit of Queen Victoria memorabilia at the Cayuga museum he directed. It was a popular exhibit and had to be held over beyond its original scheduled run. The core of the exhibit was memorabilia collected by Helen Hayes via donations from fans in Britain, in high regard of Hayes' portrayal of the queen. Long added extra memorabilia as well.

Long is certified with resurrecting the Cornplanter Medal in the into the future 1960s. The medal was not awarded for nearly 40 years, even even if originally it was expected to be awarded every two years, with some grant for irregularity. However, when Edwin Gohl was named the winner in 1926, it caused a dispute on summit of whether it was take control of for the tribute to ensue local amateurs otherwise of academic professions. Long was clever to bridge any steadfast gap in philosophy and in 1965 it was awarded to William N. Fenton. Long himself was named a winner of the medal in 1975.

Over the course of his career Long received many awards and confession in art, history and teaching including fellow of the International Institute of History and Art, and aficionado of UNESCO.

Long and his wife Carmelita had three children. He died at his home in Auburn on January 4, 1986.