Rumford Prize
Year Name Location Rationale
1839 Robert Hare Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Inventor of the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe
1862 John Ericsson New York , New York His work improved the field of heat management , but the award was specifically for his invention of the caloric engine of 1858
1865 Daniel Treadwell Cambridge , Massachusetts Heat management . He was awarded especially for his contributions towards a cannon of large caliber , and great strength and endurance
1866 Alvan Clark Cambridge , Massachusetts Improved refracting telescopes
1869 George Henry Corliss Providence , Rhode Island For improving the steam engine
1871 Joseph Harrison , Jr Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Towards his concern for safer steam boilers
1873 Lewis Morris Rutherfurd New York , New York For improving the processes and methods of astronomical photography
1875 John William Draper New York , New York For his work towards apprehending radiant energy
1880 Josiah Willard Gibbs New Haven , Connecticut Founded the field of chemical thermodynamics
1883 Henry Augustus Rowland Baltimore , Maryland For his research in light and heat
1886 Samuel Pierpont Langley Allegheny , Philadelphia For his work towards the understanding of radiant energy
1888 Albert Abraham Michelson Cleveland , Ohio Measured the velocity of light , and contribution towards the motion of the luminiferous ether , and absolute determination of the wavelengths of light
1891 Edward Charles Pickering Cambridge , Massachusetts For his work on stellar photometry and stellar spectra
1895 Thomas Alva Edison Orange , New Jersey For his investigations in electric lighting
1898 James Edward Keeler Allegheny , Pennsylvania For the applications of the spectroscope , and especially his investigations of nebulae and the physical contents of Saturn 's rings
1899 Charles Francis Brush Cleveland , Ohio For the development of the electric arc lamp
1900 Carl Barus Providence , Rhode Island For his heat research
1901 Elihu Thomson Lynn , Massachusetts For his work in welding and lighting
1902 George Ellery Hale Chicago , Illinois For his investigations in solar and stellar physics and for the invention of the spectro-heliograph
1904 Ernest Fox Nichols New York , New York For his research on radiation , radiation pressure , stellar heat , and the infrared spectrum
List of recipients
Robert Hare , first recipient of the prize in 1839 Samuel Pierpont Langley , 1886 recipient Thomas Alva Edison , 1895 recipient Ernest Fox Nichols , 1904 recipient James M. Crafts , 1911 recipient Enrico Fermi , 1953 recipient Hans Bethe,1963 recipient 1971 Rumford Prize won by the Canadian Group Bruno Rossi , 1976 recipient Chen Ning Yang , 1980 recipient John C. Mather , 1996 recipient Sam Nunn , 2008 recipient George P. Shultz , 2008 recipient
Founded in 1796, the Rumford Prize, awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is one of the oldest scientific prizes in the United States. The prize recognizes contributions by scientists to the fields of heat and light. These terms are widely interpreted; awards range from discoveries in thermodynamics to improvements in the construction of steam boilers. The award was created through the endowment of US$5,000 to the Academy by Benjamin Thompson, who held the title Count Rumford of the United Kingdom, in 1796. The terms state that the award be given to authors of discoverie's in any part of the Continent of America, or in any of the American islands. Although it was founded in 1796, the first prize was not given until 1839, as the academy could not find anyone who, in their judgement, deserved the award. The academy found the terms of the prize to be too restrictive, and in 1832 the Supreme Court of Massachusetts allowed the Academy to change some of the provisions; mainly, the award was to be given annually instead of biennially, and the Academy was allowed to award the prize as it saw fit, whereas before it had to give it yearly. The first award was given to Robert Hare, for his invention of the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe, in 1839. Twenty-three years elapsed before the award was given a second time, to John Ericsson. The prize is awarded whenever the academy recognizes a significant achievement in either of the two fields. Awardees receive a gold-and-silver medal. Previous prizewinners include Thomas Alva Edison, for his investigations in electric lighting; Enrico Fermi, for his studies of radiation theory and nuclear energy; and Charles H. Townes, for his development of the laser.