Marconi Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Guglielmo Marconi International Fellowship Foundation, briefly called Marconi Foundation and currently known as The Marconi Society, was established by Gioia Marconi Braga
in 1974 to commemorate the centennial of the birth (April 24, 1874) of her father Guglielmo Marconi
). The Marconi International Fellowship Council was established to honor significant contributions in science and technology, awarding the Marconi Prize
and an annual $100,000 grant to a living scientist who has made advances in communication technology that benefits mankind.
In describing the mission and objective of the Foundation, Braga characterized the Fellowship as "unique ... in that it does not reward a person for intellectual achievements alone, but seeks to recognize and sustain those spiritual aspirations that a creative thinker may wish to apply to the establishment of a better world in which to live."
Although Braga died in July 1996, the Marconi Society has continued to award the annual Marconi Prize and fellowship, which were first awarded in 1975. The Marconi Society also grants annual Marconi Society-Paul Baran Young Scholar Awards to young scientists who, by the time they turn 27, have made significant contributions in the fields of communication and information science.
Originally, the Foundation was located at the Aspen Institute
. In 1997, it relocated, by invitation, to Columbia University
's Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Gioia Marconi Braga
Gioia Marconi Braga, daughter of Guglielmo Marconi, was the founder and chairwoman of the Marconi Foundation, now known as the Marconi Society.Braga was a longtime resident of Alpine, New Jersey. Braga died in July 1996.-References:...
in 1974 to commemorate the centennial of the birth (April 24, 1874) of her father Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
). The Marconi International Fellowship Council was established to honor significant contributions in science and technology, awarding the Marconi Prize
Marconi Prize
The Marconi Prize is an annual award by The Marconi Society, which recognizes advancements in information technology and communications. The Prize includes a $100,000 honorarium and a work of sculpture, and honorees are called Marconi Fellows...
and an annual $100,000 grant to a living scientist who has made advances in communication technology that benefits mankind.
In describing the mission and objective of the Foundation, Braga characterized the Fellowship as "unique ... in that it does not reward a person for intellectual achievements alone, but seeks to recognize and sustain those spiritual aspirations that a creative thinker may wish to apply to the establishment of a better world in which to live."
Although Braga died in July 1996, the Marconi Society has continued to award the annual Marconi Prize and fellowship, which were first awarded in 1975. The Marconi Society also grants annual Marconi Society-Paul Baran Young Scholar Awards to young scientists who, by the time they turn 27, have made significant contributions in the fields of communication and information science.
Originally, the Foundation was located at the Aspen Institute
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." The...
. In 1997, it relocated, by invitation, to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science.