Applauding 50 Years of Fellows [GRSS Member Highlights]

In 2014, IEEE will mark its 50th Fellow Class. It represents decades of honoring IEEE Fellows whose extraordinary accomplishments have changed the world. The IEEE grade of Fellow was born in 1964 out of the merge of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) and the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE). The emphasis on the elevation was and still is reserved for select IEEE members who have contributed importantly to the advancement of engineering, science, and technology, bringing the realization of significant value to society. Only one-tenth of one percent of the total voting membership can be elevated in any one year. Over the last fifty years, IEEE has elevated roughly 10,000 members to this honor. This is a very small percentage compared to the total membership.