Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: John A. Fleming

In 1933, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected John A. Fleming as the recipient of its Medal of Honor. He was cited "for the conspicuous part he played in introducing physical and engineering principles into the radio art." Earlier, he had received the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society of London, in 1910, and the Faraday Medal of the British Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), in 1928. During his long career, he authored more than 100 technical papers and several influential textbooks. He is remembered as the inventor of the "Fleming valve," an thermionic diode which was a precursor of vacuum-tube amplifiers     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Charles F. Brush

In 1913, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected the inventor-entrepreneur Charles F. Brush as the fifth recipient of the Edison Medal. He was cited for his contribution to "the invention and development of the series arc lighting systems." The company he founded emerged as a leader in the field of outdoor lighting during the 1880s and introduced many urban residents to well-lighted streets for the first time. New York City's famous "Great White Way" was illuminated by Brush's arc lights and became a pattern for other cities and even small towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These local white ways came to symbolize modernization and progress at the beginning of the electrical age.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Charles F. Scott

Recounts the career and contributions of Charles F. Scott, who received the AIEE's Edison Medal in 1929 for "his contributions to the science and art of polyphase transmission of electrical energy."     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Cummings C. Chesney

In 1921, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected Cummings C. Chesney as the recipient of the Edison Medal. He was cited for his contributions to early developments in alternating current transmission". He later served as president of the AIEE during 1926 and 1927. He was known for his pioneering work with high-voltage power transmission.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Jonathan Zenneck

In 1928, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected Jonathan Zenneck as the recipient of its Medal of Honor. He was cited for "his contribution to original researches in radio circuit performance and to the scientific and educational contributions to the literature of the pioneer radio art." His research interests included cathode-ray tube instruments, coupled resonant circuits, and directive antennas. He also performed experimental and theoretical investigations of electric wave propagation over land and water surfaces. He authored about 200 technical papers and two influential books on electric waves and wireless communication. He became a Fellow of the IRE in 1914.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Louis W. Austin

The Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected Louis W. Austin as the recipient of its Medal of Honor in 1927. He was cited for "his pioneer work in quantitative measurement and correlation of factors involved in radio wave transmission." He had served as the third president of the IRE in 1914 and authored numerous papers for the Proceedings of the IRE during the period from 1913 to 1932. He conducted systematic data collection and analysis of wave propagation phenomena as a longtime employee of the National Bureau of Standards. His work provided a scientific basis for the design of early transoceanic radio transmitters for the U.S. Navy and private communication companies.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: George A. Campbell

In 1936, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected George A. Campbell as the recipient of its Medal of Honor. He was cited "for his contributions to the theory of electrical networks." He also was awarded the Edison Medal by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) in 1940, becoming one of the small select group of individuals to receive both of these awards. During a career of almost four decades, he made important contributions to the theory and applications of loading coils, electric wave filters, electrical measurements, and directive antennas. He played a leading role in the transformation of communications from trial-and-error empiricism into a scientific discipline based on electromagnetic field theory.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: George W. Pierce

In 1929, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected George W. Pierce as the recipient of its Medal of Honor. He was honored for his research on crystal detectors and applications of piezoelectricity and magnetostriction. The award citation also mentioned "his instructional leadership as a teacher and as a writer of important texts." He earlier had served as president of the IRE in 1918 and 1919, becoming the only person to serve a two-year term in its 50-year existence. He was known as a meticulous experimenter who designed his instruments for maximum precision. During his career, he received 53 patents and authored three books and about 30 scientific papers.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank Conrad

The article features Frank Conrad and his contributions to radio broadcasting and short wave radio transmission, radio receivers, electric meters and protective systems. He is especially remembered as the designer of the transmitter of the pioneering radio station KDKA.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Nikola Tesla

In 1916, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected Nikola Tesla as the seventh recipient of the Edison Medal. He was cited for his "early original work in polyphase and high-frequency electrical currents." Tesla's AC induction motor had proved to be a key element in making AC power a viable alternative to the once dominant DC system associated with the name of Thomas A. Edison. Descendants of Tesla's motor still serve us in myriad applications in our homes, industry, and transportation.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Greenleaf W. Pickard

In 1926, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) awarded its Medal of Honor to Greenleaf Whittier Pickard. The award was in recognition of his contributions to research on crystal detectors, antennas, wave propagation, and noise suppression. During his long career, he was a leader in the creation of the radio engineering profession and a prolific author of research papers published in the Proceedings of the IEEE. He served as the second president of the IRE during 1913.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Peder O. Pedersen

In 1930, The Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected Peder O. Pedersen as the recipient of its Medal of Honor. He had become well known for his contributions to the development of the Poulsen arc system for wireless telegraphy and telephony. He also was a leader in engineering education in Denmark. He had become a Fellow of the IRE in 1915 and authored several papers published by the Proceedings of the IRE between 1917 and 1940. He also became a Fellow of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in 1920 and was a member of several other professional societies of science and engineering in various European countries.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Harris J. Ryan

In 1925, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected Harris J. Ryan as the recipient of the Edison Medal. He was cited "for his contributions to the science and art of high-tension transmission of power." He had been a member of the AIEE since 1887 and had served as vice president of the Institute during 1896-1898 and as president during 1923-1924. He enjoyed an outstanding career of more than 40 years as an electrical engineering educator at Cornell University and at Stanford University.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Benjamin G. Lamme

In 1918, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected Benjamin Garver Lamme as the recipient of the Edison Medal. He was honored for his contributions to the design of electrical machinery. By then, he had been Chief Engineer of the Westinghouse Electric Company since 1903 and had earned a reputation as one of the foremost electrical power engineers of his generation.     

Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Frank B. Jewett

In 1928, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected Frank B. Jewett as the recipient of the Edison Medal. He was cited "for his contributions to the science and art of electric communication." He had become a Fellow of the AIEE in 1912 and had served as president of the AIEE during 1922-1923. During his career, he became an articulate spokesman for the benefits of industrial research. The career of Jewett is discussed