N OCTOBER 28, 1948, Mr. Peter Mole was presented with the 1948 Progress Medal Award, given for outstanding achievement in motion picture technology. Mr. Mole was chairman of the Pacific Coast Section of the Society shortly after it was formed in Hollywood. He has also been a member of the Board of Governors and is Executive Vice-President of the Society for 1949-1950.
Born in Termini, Sicily, Italy, he was brought to the United States when he was six years old. After being educated in various technical schools he joined the engineering staff of the General Electric Company at Schenectady, New York, where he was active in the development of the General Electric searchlight and a high-intensity rotating carbon-arc theater projection lamp.
In 1923 he left the General Electric Company and moved to California where he became interested in motion picture studio lighting, first with the Metro-Goldwin-Mayer Studios in the electrical department. After receiving his groundwork training in actual production, he went to work for a motion picture studio lighting equipment manufacturer.
With his technical background plus experience in the studios he was ideally suited to enter the field of the manufacture of specialized equipment for an industry that was growing so fast its requirements changed almost from month to month.
It was not long before he joined forces with Elmer C. Richardson", another design engineer, and Fielding C. Coates, a studio chief electrician, and formed the Mole-Richardson Company.
Mr. Mole and other members of his organization have been the authors of numerous papers on motion picture studio lighting which have been published in the JOURNAL as well as serving on many Society committees. His technical contributions and those of his organization are outstanding.
Mr. Mole's success in his chosen field is not due entirely to his ability to organize and operate an engineering and manufacturing organization to meet the needs o£ a unique industry. He has an unusual insight into the intangibles created by the art farm in motion picture production. He knows that engineering perfection must not transcend utilization in an industry where dramatic effect is the end result; yet he has been able to design and produce highly specialized lighting tools which satisfy both the artist and the engineer. It is for these reasons that,

"It is the unanimous recommendation of the Progress Award Committee that the Progress Medal Award of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers be awarded this year to Mr. Peter Mole for his many and continuing contributions to Motion Picture Lighting technique and equipment.
"Mr. Mole and his organization have pioneered in the development of lighting equipment during each of the successive stages in the advance of motion picture lighting practice for more than twenty years. The wide use of their products manifests the success of their efforts and achievement. Future lighting developments which are currently being studied undoubtedly will reflect the benefits of Mr. Mole's experience as new and improved lighting becomes available for studio use.
"It is fitting to note that Mr. Mole's organization has been the recipient of four Certificate Awards from the Academy, of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, together with recognition by the United Nations Conference on International Organization."

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