An annual scholarship program dedicated to professional careers in clockmaking

As part of a long-term plan to support the science of horology (the study of time and timekeepers) and aid those working toward a professional career in clockmaking, the family of David G. Gow and the museum is pleased to announce the first scholarship recipient. 

Parker Boughton of Des Moines, Iowa (on the right) was among nearly 20 applicants competing for the scholarship. Parker studied conservation at Saint Ambrose University and was chosen among a diverse pool of talent.

“We are delighted to celebrate Parker as our first Gow scholarship recipient”, says Callum Gow of the scholarship review board. “I anticipate that Parker will be the first in a long-line of Gow scholarship winners over many years to come.”

“Today the professional career path of museum-level clock conservation is not well defined”, says Robert C. Cheney, Willard’s Executive Director, “Unlike a century ago, formal apprenticeship programs are scarce and any funding difficult to obtain –Willard hopes to provide improvements on both fronts.”

When asked why Boughton decided to pursue this field, he commented, “I like clocks because of their varied technical repair and restoration challenges, the innovation that’s inherent in these machines and the opportunity to understand the engineering intent of the clockmaker.”

Parker Boughton is a 21-year-old horological student from central Iowa. He attended Saint Ambrose University and secured a degree in Fine Art Conservation. He graduated finding a niche later on in horological repair. With a passion for quality horological conservation, he studies under Stephen Franke and has pursued further education in the field of horology. 

Parker currently operates out of Des Moines Iowa in his own workshop, furthering his knowledge of horology, in general as well as clock restoration and clockmaking.