On Aug. 23, 1961, The Committee on the National Medal of Science was established by President John F. Kennedy. Established in 1959 by the U.S. Congress, the National Medal of Science is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers.

The National Medal of Science depicts a human form, surrounded by Earth, sea and sky, contemplating and seeking to understand nature. The crystal in the figure’s hand symbolizes the universal order and also suggests the basic unit of living things. The formula the figure is sketching in the sand symbolizes scientific abstraction.