The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest award presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), recognizing exceptional contributions or extraordinary careers in the fields of interest to IEEE, including electrical engineering, electronics, computing, information technology, and related sciences. Established in 1917 by the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) as the IRE Medal of Honor, it was designed by American sculptor Edward Field Sanford Jr.. Following the 1963 merger of the IRE and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) to form IEEE, the award was redesignated as the IEEE Medal of Honor and retained as IEEE's premier honor.
The award originated during a period of rapid advancement in radio and electrical technologies in the early 20th century. The IRE, founded in 1912, sought to honor pioneers in these emerging fields. The first recipient in 1917 was John Stone Stone, recognized for his contributions to radio transmission theory. Over the decades, the medal has been bestowed annually (with occasional exceptions) to individuals whose work has profoundly influenced the electrical and electronics engineering professions. By the mid-20th century, as technologies like computing and telecommunications evolved, the award's scope expanded to encompass broader IEEE fields of interest.
In 1963, post-merger, IEEE adopted the IRE Medal of Honor as its flagship award, emphasizing its prestige. The medal's design features symbolic elements representing electrical innovation, including motifs of waves and circuits. A comprehensive history of the award, covering its first century, is detailed in the IEEE Medal of Honor eBook, published in 2023 to celebrate 100 years of innovation.
The IEEE Medal of Honor is conferred for "an exceptional achievement or an extraordinary career in the IEEE fields of interest." It may be awarded to an individual or a team of up to three persons. Nominations are reviewed by the IEEE Awards Board, with final approval by the IEEE Board of Directors. The award is presented at the annual IEEE Honors Ceremony, typically held in the spring.
Components of the award include a gold medal, a bronze replica for the recipient's personal use, a certificate, and an honorarium. Historically, the honorarium was $50,000, but in September 2024, IEEE announced an increase to $2 million starting with the 2025 recipient, underscoring the award's elevated status. This makes it one of the most lucrative engineering honors globally.
Over 100 laureates have received the IEEE Medal of Honor since 1917, including luminaries such as Edwin Howard Armstrong (1935, for FM radio), Claude Shannon (1966, for information theory), and Robert Noyce (1990, for microchip invention). More recent recipients include Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn (2019, for TCP/IP). The 2025 laureate is Henry Samueli, IEEE Fellow and co-founder of Broadcom, honored for pioneering broadband communication technologies. He is the first to receive the $2 million honorarium.
The award's legacy lies in its role in perpetuating excellence in engineering. It has recognized foundational work in radio, computing, and nanotechnology, influencing modern technologies like wireless communication and semiconductors. A full list of recipients is maintained on the IEEE website, highlighting the award's impact on global technological progress.
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