Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Louis W. Austin

The Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) selected Louis W. Austin as the recipient of its Medal of Honor in 1927. He was cited for "his pioneer work in quantitative measurement and correlation of factors involved in radio wave transmission." He had served as the third president of the IRE in 1914 and authored numerous papers for the Proceedings of the IRE during the period from 1913 to 1932. He conducted systematic data collection and analysis of wave propagation phenomena as a longtime employee of the National Bureau of Standards. His work provided a scientific basis for the design of early transoceanic radio transmitters for the U.S. Navy and private communication companies.