IEEE Medal of Honor
The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It has been awarded since 1917, and is presented to an individual or team of up to three who have made exceptional contributions or had extraordinary careers in technology, engineering, and science in the IEEE fields of interest. The award consists of a gold medal, a bronze replica, a certificate, and a million honorarium.
The medal was created by the Institute of Radio Engineers as the "IRE Medal of Honor". It became the IEEE Medal of Honor when the IRE merged with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers to form the IEEE in 1963. It was decided that IRE's Medal of Honor would be presented as IEEE's highest award. Edward Field Sanford Jr., an American sculptor, designed the medal in 1917.
The first recipient was Edwin Howard Armstrong, in 1917. As of 2026, 106 people have been awarded the medal, with the latest recipient being Jensen Huang. Only one woman, Mildred Dresselhaus, has been awarded the medal, in 2015.