IBM's rich history of discovery and innovation has brought international recognition. In addition to five Nobel prizes, IBM researchers have been recognized with seven U.S. National Medals of Technology, five National Medals of Science and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. IBM Research has more than 59 members of the National Academy of Engineering and well over 300 industry organization fellows. IBM's own Frances Allen became the first woman to receive a Turing Award. The company has seen 6 Turing recipients in total, as well as 11 inductees in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

1990 -  Harry Markowitz (link resides outside of ibm.com), American finance and economics educator, cowinner (with Merton H. Miller and William F. Sharpe) of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Economics for theories on evaluating stock-market risk and reward and on valuing corporate stocks and bonds.

1987 -  J. Georg Bednorz and K. Alex Müller were awarded a Nobel Prize for their discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in a new class of materials. They discovered that a particular class of oxides can conduct electricity without resistance at temperatures significantly higher than previously acheived. Applications of high-temperature superconductors include devices to measure extremely small magnetic fields, which can be used for geophysical exploration and medical diagnostic procedures.

1986 -  Gerd K. Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope, which could provide atomic resolution images of surfaces.

1973 -  Leo Esaki was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics for his invention of the electron tunneling effect in semiconductors. Esaki was the co-inventor of semiconductor superlattices and explored the extraordinary properties of these engineered quantum structures.

National Medal of Technology - Awarded by the President of the United States for promotion of technology or technological manpower.

National Medal of Science - Awarded by the President of the United States for outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences.

Wolf Foundation Prize

Six prizes awarded every year to outstanding scientists and artists for achievements in agriculture, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, and physics for science and in the Arts, the prize rotates annually among music, painting, sculpture and architecture. $100,000 and a certificate.

1993 -  Benoit Mandelbrot

The Franklin Medal

The Franklin Institute's highest honor for those working in physical science or technology, and whose efforts have done most to advance a knowledge of physical science or its applications. Established in 1914. Gold Medal. Awarded annually.

2007 -  Robert Dennard
1986 -  Benoit Mandelbrot

IBM highest technical honor is the designation of IBM Fellow. Fellows are selected for sustained and distinguished technical achievements in engineering, programming and technology. Fellows are granted a wide sphere of independence in the pursuit of their research.

IBM Fellows have invented some of the industry's most useful and profitably applied technologies. Few computer users may realize how much of this group's innovations have created the computer technology we take for granted.