Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: William D. Coolidge

In 1927, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected William D. Coolidge as the recipient of the Edison Medal. He was cited "for his contributions to the incandescent electric lighting and the X-ray arts." He also was the recipient of the Rumford Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1914 and the Faraday Medal of the British Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1939. He spent most of his professional career as a research scientist and administrator at the General Electric Research Laboratory (GERL). He is remembered especially for his leading role in the development of ductile tungsten wire for use as filaments in lamps and vacuum tubes