John D. Roberts

Arthur J. Hundhausen

John Clarke

R. John Collier

Arnold O. Beckman

C. Grant Willson
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will present awards today to 17 scientists whose work defined, refined, or advanced a field. The awards will be presented during the NAS's 136th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Scientists elected to NAS in 1998 also will be inducted at the meeting.

The NAS's highest honor, the Public Welfare Medal, goes to Arnold O. Beckman, founder of both Beckman Instruments Inc. and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Beckman was chosen for his leadership in the "development of analytical instrumentation and for his deep and abiding concern for the vitality of the nation's scientific enterprise." The medal, established to recognize distinguished application of science to public welfare, has been presented since 1914.

The company Beckman founded in 1935 funded the philanthropy he established formally in...

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