President Bush Presents 2007 National Medals of Technology and Innovation

At an impressive White House ceremony on Monday, President George W. Bush presented the 2007 National Medal of Technology and Innovation to eight individuals and companies. The medal is this nation’s highest honor for technological and scientific accomplishment. “This is a joyous day for the White House as we honor some of this nation’s most gifted and visionary men and women,” the President declared.

The 2007 National Medal of Technology and Innovation laureates are:

Paul Baran for the invention and development of the fundamental architecture for packet-switched communication networks, which provided a paradigm shift from the circuit-switched communication networks of the past, and later was used to build the ARPANET and the Internet.

 

 

 

Roscoe O. Brady for his discovery of the enzymatic defects and hereditary metabolic disorders such as Gaucher disease, Neimann-Pick disease, Fabry disease and Tay-Sachs disease, devising widely used genetic counseling procedures and the development of highly effective enzyme replacement therapy that provided the foundation of patient treatment; and for stimulating the creation of and fostering the success of many biotechnology companies that produce the therapeutics for the treatment of these diseases.

 

 

 

David N. Cutler for having designed and implemented standards for real-time, personal, and server-based operating systems, carrying these projects from conception through design, engineering, and production for Digital Equipment Corporation's RSX-11 and VAX/VMS, and for the Microsoft's Windows NT-based computer operating systems; and for his fundamental contributions to computer architecture, compilers, operating systems, and software engineering.

 

 

 

Armand V. Feigenbaum for his leadership in the development of the economic relationship of quality costs, productivity improvement, and profitability, and for his pioneering application of economics, general systems theory and technology, statistical methods, and management principles that define The Total Quality Management approach for achieving performance excellence and global competitiveness.

 

 

 

Adam Heller for his fundamental contributions to electrochemistry and bioelectric chemistry, and the subsequent application of those fundamentals in the development of technological products that improved the quality of life across the globe, most notably in the area of human health and well-being.

 

 

 

 

Carlton Grant Willson for the creation of novel lithographic imaging materials and techniques that have enabled the manufacturing of smaller, faster, and more efficient microelectronic components that have improved the competitiveness of U.S. microelectronics industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

eBay for pioneering the technology that encouraged and supported online trade, enabling global entrepreneurship and the growth of the Internet worldwide.

 

 

 

Skunk Works for an exceptional 65-year record of developing cutting-edge aircraft, technologies, and systems solutions for the U.S. government, including development of unique advanced aircraft technologies critical to the national defense, and for the introduction of operational "stealth" capability that has changed the landscape of U.S. war-fighting capabilities.

 

 

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was created by Congress in 1980 and has been presented by the President of the United States since 1985. A distinguished, independent committee appointed by the Secretary of Commerce evaluates the merits of all candidates nominated through an open, competitive solicitation process.

The Medal program is administered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Additional information is available at www.uspto.gov/nmti