Certificate and Medal of “Distinguished Alumni Award” by California Institute of Technology

2015年09月28日

Qian Xuesen cared little about his reputation and focused on scientific research. He never ran after awards, but his significant achievements attracted prizes toward him.

On January 1, 1979, Sino-US ambassadorial level diplomatic relations were formally established, ending the abnormal status for 30 years. In the same year, the California Institute of Technology (hereinafter “Caltech”) conferred Qian Xuesen the“Distinguished Alumni Award” who lived in China at that time.

As a graduate and teacher of Caltech, Qian Xuesen is a great scientist that the school has been proud of. From the brochure of the jet propulsion center of Caltech, we can see that, three photos of Qian Xuesen were adopted, while there is only one photo appearing in the brochure for other scientists. Therefore, it obviously confirms how important Qian Xuesen is. In addition, there is a timeline on display in the aviation building where the Guggenheim lab is located, which consists of a series of historic events of Caltech. In this timeline, you would find the enrolment time for doctoral degree study and the graduation time of Qian Xuesen.

Although hoping to grant Qian Xuesen a “Distinguished Alumni Award”a long time ago, the Caltech did not realize its hope due to the political situation in the US. Therefore, in the first year that Sino-US official diplomatic relations were established, Caltech finally handed this honour to Qian Xuesen, who should have received it earlier. 

However, Qian Xuesen once stated, “I will not visit America once more”, and he adhered to his statement firmly and refused to accept the award in the US. In 2001, Frank·E·Marble, an old friend of Qian Xuesen and professor of Caltech, paid a visit to China and brought him the certificate and medal of the “Distinguished Alumni Award”.

The “Distinguished Alumni Award” returned to his hands after 22 years’ separation, and Qian Xuesen was 90 years old already. After taking the medal and gently putting it on a small table of his bed, the two white-headed old men looked at each other and smiled.   

In January 1989, the Chairman of International Technology and Technical Exchange Conference wrote a letter to Han Shu, Chinese ambassador to the US, saying in the letter, “Famous Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen won 1989 Rockwell Technology Award of Excellence, his name was added to ‘Who’s Who in the World Class Science and Engineering Fields’, and he was also granted ‘Honorary Member of the International Institute of Technology’, all of which are to commend Qian Xuesen for his pioneering contributions to rocket-powered missile technology, space technology and systems engineering theory.” 

Although the “Rockwell Award” seems strange to most Chinese people, it presents the highest honour that scientists could achieve in the field of science and technology.

This award was set up by the International Institute of Technology in 1982, named after its first winner Willard Rockwell. The International Institute of Technology was founded in 1976 as an international technological organization, is dedicated to exchange activities among technical research organizations, governments and industrial circles, and takes charge of organizing the International Technology and Technical Exchange Conference.

As required by the International Institute of Technology, winners of the “Rockwell Award” must be selected from scientists of high reputation in the science and technology field, and there cannot be more than three winners each time. Besides Qian Xuesen, winners of this award also included Edward Teller, physicist & American “Father of the Hydrogen Bomb”, and Robert Klapiesch, senior consultant of the European Nuclear Research Council and French physicist. 

Up to 1989, there had been 16 world class scientists winning “Rockwell Award”, with Qian Xuesen as the only Chinese scientist. 

After winning that award, the State Commission of Science and Technology for the National Defense Industry and the China Association of Science and Technology wanted to co-hold a splendid party for Qian Xuesen, but was politely refused. Therefore, the celebration party became a forum, for they wished Qian Xuesen would talk about his feelings over winning that award.

Qian Xuesen said in the forum, “As to the prize I won today, it is said that I am the first Chinese person to receive it. In my opinion, the “Chinese person” should include thousands of fellows who once made contributions to it.”