Philip Torchio — 1939 Edison medalist

Quite aside from the intrinsic fitness of the medalist, there are associated reasons why this year's Edison Medal award is particularly appropriate. The medalist has spent the greater part of his life actively in the employment of the company which derives from Mr. Edison's initial electricity supply undertaking. His earlier years were spent in the vicinity of and his technical education was received in the town of a pioneer development of Mr. Edison's system of generation and distribution. For many years he was a colleague of the 1923 Edison medalist, the late John W. Lieb, a former President of the Institute. In a very real sense it must be said of him that his lifetime was devoted to the realization, perfecting, and adapting to changing conditions of the work initiated by the great pioneer inventor and engineer whose work and memory this medal commemorates.