The Waldo E. Smith Medal is given out by the American Geophysical Union

American Geophysical Union

The American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...

 to recognize "individuals who have played unique leadership roles in such diverse areas as scientific associations, education, legislation, research, public understanding of science, management, and philanthropy, and whose accomplishments have greatly strengthened and helped advance the geophysical sciences". The award was created in 1982 and named after Waldo E. Smith, the first Executive Secretary of the AGU. The award is given not more often than every other year.

Past recipients

• 1984 Waldo E. Smith
• 1986 Thomas F. Malone
• 1988 Philip H. Abelson
• 1990 Naoshi Fukushima
  Naoshi Fukushima
  was a Japanese physicist specializing in the near-Earth space environment. He served as Secretary General of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy from 1975 to 1983. In 1990 he was awarded the AGU's Waldo E...
  
  
• 1992 Earl G. Droessler
• 1994 Cecil H. Green
• 1996 Ned Ostenso
• 1998 Margaret A. Shea
• 2000 Rosina Bierbaum
  Rosina Bierbaum
  Rosina M. Bierbaum is dean of the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. She was hired in October 2001 by then U-M President Lee Bollinger....
  
  
• 2002 Ivan I. Mueller
• 2004 J. Michael Hall
• 2006 John A. Knauss
• 2008 Harsh K. Gupta