Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award

In 1938, Pi Tau Sigma (National Mechanical Engineering Honor Society) arranged with ASME for the joint award of the Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal. This medal is awarded for outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering to an engineer within ten years after graduation from the regular engineering course of a recognized college or university.

In 1944, the Charles Russ Richards Award was similarly established as a joint award of Pi Tau Sigma and ASME to recognize the outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering by the engineering graduate within twenty to twenty-five years following graduation.

In 1973, Pi Tau Sigma and ASME entered into a new agreement which continued the existing awards and added the Gustus L. Larson Award to honor engineering graduates for outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering between ten and twenty years after graduation. Funding was provided from the ASME Ward S. and Editha Jacobs Fund.

The qualifications for the recipients of each of the three awards are identical except for the period of recognized achievements. In each case the recipient shall have received a baccalaureate degree from a regular engineering program of a recognized college or university and shall have attained outstanding achievement within the period stated for each award. Achievement shall be all or in part in any field, including industrial, educational, political, research, civic and artistic. The candidate's achievements will be examined for an application of basic engineering methods or principles.

The three awards are administered by a Joint Board of Award appointed by Pi Tau Sigma and ASME. The Chair is a Pi Tau Sigma appointee. The Board of Award provides forms and invites ASME Sections and other units to nominate for the awards. The Board of Award submits the names and records of the persons selected for the three awards to the ASME Committee on Honors for the formal selection of the recipients.

Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award

The Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award is presented to the engineering graduate who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering twenty years or more following graduation. Any person who, on July 1 of the year of the award, graduated twenty years or more from the regular engineering program of a recognized college or university shall be eligible for recognition.

The award, established in 1944 by Pi Tau Sigma in coordination with ASME, honors Charles Russ Richards, founder of Pi Tau Sigma at the University of Illinois, former head of mechanical engineering and dean of engineering at the University of Illinois and later president of Lehigh University. He was a member of ASME and served on its Board of Governors.

CHARLES RUSS RICHARDS MEMORIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS