The Edison Medal

In February, 1904, a fund was provided and a deed of gift creating the Edison Medal executed between twenty-three individuals and the New York Trust Company, such deed being amended in March, 1908, to include as one of the parties thereto the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, whereby it was provided, ameng other things, as follows:—

"The Institute shall, through a Committee to be duly appointed and authorized by it and known as The Edison Medal Committee, cause a gold medal to be executed from said die, or according to said design and specifications, and shall award said medal to some one resident of the United States of America and its Dependencies, or of the

Dominion of Canada for "Meritorious Achievement" in Electrical Science or Electrical Engineering or the Electrical Arts, whenever in the judgment of said Committee a resident of either of said countries is properly deserving of such award; provided, nevertheless, the requisite funds have accrued from said investment to so be made by the Trust Company."

In compliance with the obligation assumed by it the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in May, 1909, approved a set of by-laws of The Edison Medal Committee creating the machinery and prescribing the method of procedure to be thereafter followed in awarding the Edison Medal. Since that time awards have been made as per the following list of names and for the accomplishments as set forth, it being the privilege and duty of The Edison Medal Committee both to make the award and to state with great care, as briefly as may be, the reasons for their action. The list of distinguished men who have been honored by these awards is the best testimony of the way in which this important matter has been handled by the Committee having it in charge:—

1909 — ELIHU THOMSON — "For Meritorious Achievement in Electrical Science, Engineering and Arts, as exemplified in his contributions thereto during the past thirty years."

1910 — FRANK J. SPRAGUE — "For Meritorious Achievement in Electrical Science, Engineering and Arts, as exemplified in his contributions thereto.

1911 — GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE  "For Meritorious Achievement in Connection with the Development of the Alternating Current System for Light and Power".

1912 — WILLIAM STANLEY  "For Meritorious Achievement in Invention and Development of Alternating Current Systems and Apparatus".

1913 — CHARLES F. BRUSH  "For Meritorious Achievement in the Invention and Development of the Series Arc Lighting System".

1914 — ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL — "For Meritorious Achievement in the Invention of the Telephone".

1916 — NIKOLA TESLA  "For Meritorious Achievement in his early original work in Polyphase and High-frequency Electrical Currents".

1917 — JOHN J. CARTY  "For his work in the Science and Art of Telephone Engineering".

1918 — BENJAMIN G. LAMME — "For Invention and Development of Electrical Machinery".

CALVERT TOWNLEY