PHILADELPHIA, April 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Franklin Institute's Committee on Science and the Arts, together with Institute President and CEO Dennis M. Wint, are rolling out the red carpet to honor seven of the world's premier scientists and engineers with the 2004 Benjamin Franklin Medals and Bower Awards. These preeminent scientists are being recognized for their outstanding achievements in the fields of chemistry, computer and cognitive science, electrical engineering, life sciences, mechanical engineering, and physics. Laureates will be honored formally at a gala awards ceremony and dinner, presented by Fleet Bank, on Thursday evening, April 29, 2004, at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The Master of Ceremonies for this celebration will be Lester Holt, the lead anchor for daytime news and breaking news coverage on MSNBC.
The 2004 Franklin Institute Bower Award Laureates are: Seymour Benzer, who will receive the esteemed Bower Award for Achievement in Science and the accompanying $250,000 Cash Prize; and Raymond Damadian, who will receive the Bower Award for Business Leadership. The Benjamin Franklin Medal Laureates are Roger Bacon (Mechanical Engineering), Harry B. Gray (Chemistry), Richard M. Karp (Computer and Cognitive Science), Robert B. Meyer (Physics), and Robert E. Newnham (Electrical Engineering).
"These exceptional scientists are taking up the torch of a 180-year-old-legacy of extraordinary achievement in science and technology," says Wint. "Whether lifting the veil on the mysteries of the brain, or inventing tools and technologies to help us conquer disease and revolutionize many aspects of science, engineering, and business, these Laureates are changing the quality of our everyday lives. We are proud to honor these individuals as they have honored and inspired us and generations to come through their dedication to science."
The 2004 Franklin Institute Awards Ceremony and Dinner are generously presented by Fleet Bank. Fleet's lead sponsorship helps to underwrite the extraordinary costs associated with staging the April 29, 2004 Awards Ceremony, which will be attended by more than 700 business, civic, governmental, and education leaders. This support also provides funds for free or reduced admissions for the 300,000 or more schoolchildren who visit the museum each year.
Also providing support are Associate Sponsors, Centocor, Inc.; Cephalon, Inc.; Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and the Four Seasons Hotel. In addition to their support of the formal Awards program on Thursday evening, Cephalon, Inc. generously underwrote the Laureates' Symposia and the Meet the Scientist session during Awards Week.
The long, distinguished history of The Franklin Institute Awards Program dates back to 1824, when the Institute was founded by a group of leading Philadelphians to train artisans and mechanics in the fundamentals of science. Philadelphia -- then the largest city in the United States -- was the nation's innovation and manufacturing center. In 1824, the Institute arranged the first of what became a series of annual exhibitions of manufactured goods.
With the exhibition came the presentation of awards -- first certificates and later endowed medals -- for achievement in science and technology. Recipients were selected by the Institute's Committee on Science and the Arts, established in 1824 as the Committee on Inventions. The Institute's all-volunteer Committee still nominates recipients of The Franklin Institute Medals. Committee members represent academia, corporate America, and government. They evaluate the work of nominated individuals for its uncommon insight, skill, or creativity, as well as for its impact on future research or application to serve humankind.
Today, The Franklin Institute continues its dedication to education and science literacy, creating a passion for science through its museum, outreach programs, and curatorial work. Recognizing leading individuals from around the world is one important way that the Institute preserves Franklin's legacy.
For more information on the Franklin Institute Awards Program, please call Donna Dickerson, Awards Program Director, at 215.448.1329, or visit the Institute's Franklin Awards web site at http://www.fi.edu/tfi_awards.