Doug Engelbart's life's work, with his "big-picture" vision and persistent pioneering firsts, has made a significant impact on society, as well as the past, present, and future of personal, interpersonal, and organizational computing. Recipient of numerous honors and awards for outstanding lifetime achievement and ingenuity, he would be the first to tell you it was a team effort, citing especially his original chief architect Jeff Rulifson, and chief engineer Bill English, both named with Doug on the 1990 ACM Software System Award. See also his Bio for publications, patents, and memberships.
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Awards Received
Inductions to Hall of Fame, Hall of Fellows, or Lifetime Membership
Top Medals Received
Honorary Degrees received (beyond his earned degrees from OSU (BS) and UCB (MS, PhD))
Special Recognition citing his seminal contributions Examples: certificates of recognition, awards named after Doug Engelbart
Citing the 1968 live public demo You might know this as the "Mother of All Demos"
Citing his invention of the Computer Mouse
Citing his groundbreaking contributions to Interactive Computing Examples: Human Computer Interface (HCI) or Computer Human Interface (CHI)
Laying the foundations of Modern Computing Examples: pioneering firsts in personal, interactive, hyperlinked, collaborative
computing and communications
that impact the way we live and work today; often citing the graphical user interface (GUI), windows, word processing, human-computer interaction (HCI), and/or the system that integrated these features into a futuristic collaborative knowledge-work facility
Citing contributions toward Global Connectivity Examples: Networking, the Internet, the World Wide Web
Citing groundbreaking contributions to Intelligence Augmentation, Augmenting Human Intellect, Collective IQ Generally advancing our ability to solve increasingly complex problems
For laying foundations of the Information Age and/or the Knowledge Age
Citing visionary excellence in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Ingenuity, and/or Leadership in his field
Citing far-reaching social and organizational impact, and/or advancements in his field
2017. IEEE Milestone Award:
"Public Demonstration of Online Systems and Personal Computing, 1968" The historic demo presented by Doug Engelbart and his team December 9, 1968, "now considered a seminal event in the history of computing” by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Now known as the 'Mother of All Demos,' their demo "showcased many fundamental technologies that would become ubiquitous, including collaborative online editing, hypertext, video conferencing, word processing, spell checking, revision control, and the mouse." The IEEE Milestone program honors significant inventions, locations or events related to electrical engineering and computing," beginning with Benjamin Franklin's 1751 early Experiments and Observations on Electricity. [ Story & Photos | About | Winners | This Milestone ] 1a
2014. Internet Hall of Fame. Inducted posthumously by the Internet Society"for his seminal contributions to personal and collaborative computing, and participation in the early formation of the ARPAnet, precursor to the Internet." Engelbart, officially recognized as a Pioneer of the Internet, joins the ranks of inducted visionary pioneers and innovators from around the world "who were
instrumental in shaping today’s Internet and expanding its global connectivity." [ Story & Photos | about | 2014 | doug | press ] 1a
2012 Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame. Awarded by the Consumer Electronics Association: for his accomplishments as "Inventor of the computer mouse; father of hypermedia". The CE Hall of Fame, created in 2000, honors the leaders in the consumer technology industry who have shaped and advanced innovation. This year's award presented October 16 at the 2012 CEA Industry Forum in San Francisco. Note name change - Now known as the Consumer Technology Association, and CT Hall of Fame. [ Story & Photos | about | 2012
| press ] 1b
2011. IEEE Intelligent Systems Hall of Fame. Inducted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) "to express appreciation and respect for the pioneers who have made significant contributions to the field of AI and intelligent systems and to honor them for their notable impact and influence on the field and society." Established in 2011 by the IEEE Intelligent Systems Magazine, in celebration of their 25th anniversary, to honor the lifetime achievements of senior researchers in the fields of AI and intelligent systems. The inaugural class comprised 10 influential leaders from the field, including Tim Berners-Lee, Noam Chomsky, Douglas Engelbart, and other well-known artificial intelligence pioneers. [ about | doug | booklet | inductees | press ] 1c
2011. Honorary Doctorate Degree - Yale. Awarded by Yale University: "We touch your genius every day. As the inventor of the mouse, you put computing in our hands, [...] created ways for computers to work together, and augmented our capacity to explore the world's increasingly complex problems. [...] We celebrate your far-reaching contributions to our ways or working and thinking as we award you Yale's first Doctor of Engineering and Technology." [about | 2011 | doug | recipients | press] 1d
2010. Weatherford Award. "Honoring visionaries who further Oregon's pioneering spirit." Join business leaders from across the state for Oregon's premier celebration of lifelong entrepreneurship and innovation, February 17, 2010, presented by the Austin Entrepreneurship Program, Oregon State University Corvallis. [about | 2010 | doug | press] 1e
2009. NMC Fellow Award. "The New Media Consortium's highest individual
honor, is presented to recognize a person's lifetime achievement and
extraordinary contributions to the field of new media." [ Story & Photos | about | doug ] 2a
2006. IEEE Life Member. "In recognition of the many years of loyal membership and support of the activities of the IEEE, Douglas C Engelbart has achieved the status of Life Member." [ About ] 2b
2005. Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. "In recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community." The certificate, dated February 23, 2005. It bears the Seal of "Member of Congress, United States of America" and is signed by Rep. Michael M. Honda, US House of Representatives. 2c
2005. Silicon Valley Engineering Council Hall of Fame. "Dr. Engelbart's extraordinary commitment to advanced computing revolutionized the way we communicate and collaborate, and paved the way for the digital age.... His life's work is an inspiration to engineers of the future." Established in 1990, the SVEC Hall of Fame "celebrates and promotes the accomplishments of engineers and technical leaders in Silicon Valley who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and have made significant contributions to the Silicon Valley community." [about | inductees | doug | banquet | video clip | press] 2d
2005. Norbert Wiener Award
for Professional and Social Responsibility. "For being a pioneer of human-computer interface
technology, inventor of the mouse, and social-impact visionary." Awarded by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR),
October 29, 2005. [ about | winners | 2005 | doug | Press ] 2e
2005. CHM Fellow Award. Awarded by the Computer History Museum, Mt. View, CA "for advancing the study of human-computer interaction, for developing the mouse input device, and for the application of computers to improving organizational efficiency." October 18, 2005. [about | 2005 | doug | fellows | gallery | press1 | press2] 2f
2002. American Innovation Award. Awarded by the United States Patents and Trademark Office on its Bicentenniel,
to Douglas Engelbart "For his contributions to American innovation".
Honoring "38 of America's greatest inventors to celebrate 200 years of innovation, including
Nobel Prize winners Kary Mullis (chemistry) and Baruch Blumberg (medicine); and
the inventors Steve Wozniak (personal computer); Donald Keck and Peter Schultz
(fiber optics); and Doug Engelbart (the computer mouse)" – all previously inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame (read about Engelbart's 1998 induction below). [about | program | awardees | press]. 2h
2002. ACM CHI Academy. Inducted by the ACM special interest group on computer human interaction "for Leadership in the Field of Computer Human Interaction." The CHI Academy honors individuals "whose efforts have shaped the disciplines and/or industry, and led the research and/or innovation in human-computer interaction.” The ACM previously honored Engelbart with the ACM Alan M. Turing Award (1997), the CHI Lifetime Achievement Award (1998), the ACM Software System Award (1990), and established through SIGLINK (now SIGWEB) an award for Best Paper in Hypertext and Hypermedia in his name, the "Engelbart Award" (1994). [ About | Recipients | 2002 ] 2i
2002. Douglas C. Engelbart Day. Oregon State Governor John Kitzhaber proclaimed January 24, 2002 as "Douglas C. Engelbart Day" in honor of the OSU alumnus credited with inventing the computer mouse, e-mail, the concept of windows, hypertext, the pointer cursor, and numerous other inventions that have revolutionized the way people interact with computers. [about ] 2j
2002. "Distinguished Infocomm Speaker." Awarded by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore at the World Library Summit,
April 2002, in Singapore, on the occasion of Engelbart's Keynote Address, titled "Improving Our Ability to Improve: A Call for Investment in a New Future." [ about | keynote address | Proceedings ] 2k
2001. CRN Industry Hall Of Fame. Awarded by CRN, in conjunction with the Computer History Museum of San Jose, CA for having made "significant contributions in developing, founding or advancing technology." Presented on November 12, 2001 at Comdex in Las Vegas, NV. [ about | 2001 | doug | inductees | press 1 | 2] 2l
2001. BCS Lovelace Medal. Awarded by The British Computer Society for having made "a contribution of major significance in
the advancement of information systems or which adds significantly
to the understanding of the development of Information Systems." Presented on October 25, 2001 in London, England. [ about | recipients | Press ] 2m
2001. Webby Lifetime Achievement Award. The Webbys presented their first Lifetime Achievement Award to Doug "for playing an integral role in the creative,
technical, or professional progress of the Internet." The MC for this special award was Vint Cerf, while the MC for the evening's event was Tony-award winning actor Alan Cumming. The event was webcast live on ABCnews.go.com. [ Story & Photos | about | 2001 winners | press ] 2o
2001. Honorary Doctorate Degree - SCU. From Santa Clara University, an Honorary Doctor of Science Award "for your brilliant mind, for your fearless pursuit of innovation, and for the countless ways your creations have advanced this valley and the world." June 17, 2001. [press] 2p
2000. National Medal of Technology & Innovation. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement of America's leading innovators. This year bestowed by President Clinton, Douglas Engelbart was honored "For creating the foundations of personal computing including continuous, real-time interaction based on cathode-ray tube displays and the mouse, hypertext linking, text editing, on-line journals, shared-screen teleconferencing, and remote collaborative work. More than any other person, he created the personal computing component of the computer revolution." [ Story & Photos | about | recipients | doug | press ] 2q
2000. The Computer Hall of Fame. Inducted by the Computer Museum of America, La Mesa, CA, Engelbart was named "one of the top computer industry innovators of all time" by voters on the Internet. [details] 2r
2000. SPC Special Recognition. The Software Productivity Consortium "proudly salutes Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart on his receipt of the National Medal of Technology."2s
2000. Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Inducted to the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame by the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization November 4, 2000, at the National CEO Conference in Chicago, IL. [about] 2t
1999. Software Visionary Award. Presented by the Software Development Forum "for helping to usher in an era of personal computing, office automation and global connectivity" on June 29, 1999 at its Second Annual Event. Established in 1998, “the annual Software Visionary Awards acknowledge industry experts who have enriched the lives of others through their work, while creating and fostering the technologies of tomorrow.” [ 1999 details ] 3a
1999. IEEE John Von Neumann Medal Award. "For creating the foundations of real-time,
interactive, personal computing including CRT displays, windows,
the mouse, hypermedia linking and conferencing, and on-line journals." The award, sponsored by IBM Corporation, was presented at the annual
IEEE Honors Ceremony on June 12, 1999 in London, England. [ About | 1999 | Doug | Recipients | Press ] 1a
1999. Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science. Presented "For visionary development of computer software
and hardware that revolutionized human-computer interactions,
as exemplified by his invention of 'The Mouse'." "Dr. Engelbart's seminal innovations initiated
a truly fundamental change in computing that makes possible easy access
to the power of computers for millions of individuals." The award
was presented on April 29, 1999, in the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
in Philadelphia, PA. [ about | 1999 laureates | doug ] 3d
1999. Gibson Achievement Award. First recipient of SRI International's highest achievement award, established in 1999 in honor of executive/inventor Weldon B. "Hoot" Gibson’s legacy at SRI, "to recognize alumni who have made a significant impact on society's standard of living and prosperity, and has added special luster to the reputation of SRI.” Awarded to Douglas Engelbart on March 2, 1999 at SRI's International Building Auditorium. [ About ] 3e
1999. Golden Gizmo Award. Awarded at The Tech Museum of Innovation's third annual "WYSIWYG" auction and dinner, July 23, 1999, in San Jose, CA: “Besides the spirited bidding, the evening included the presentation of the first-ever Golden Gizmo award for Technological Genius to Douglas Engelbart, inventor of the mouse." [ Story | Press ] 3f
1998. Stanford Symposium celebrates Doug Engelbart's Unfinished Revolution. On December 9, 1998 an all-day symposium entitled
"Engelbart's Unfinished Revolution" was held at Stanford University's Memorial Auditorium to "celebrate the innovations of SRI alumnus and 'hero' of the revolution, Douglas Engelbart." 3g
1998. IEC Fellow Award. Presented by the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), Chicago, IL,
"for the substantial contributions you have made to the Information Industry throughout your career." [ About ] 3h
1998. Douglas Engelbart Scholarship Endowment Fund. Established by Oregon State University, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, to be awarded
"for a junior or senior undergraduate with a high GPA in the professional program in ECE." 3i
1998. OSU Engineering Hall of Fame. Oregon State University award presented on October 18, 1998 at the Oregon State Alumni Center. [about | doug] 3j
1998. Ronald H. Brown American Innovators Award. Presented by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Patent and Trademark Office at the awards ceremony held on October 14, 1998. at the Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, D.C. [about | 1998 awardees] 3k
1998. CHI Lifetime Achievement Award. From the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction
"For outstanding contributions to the study of human-computer interaction." Established this year, the award "recognizes the very best work in shaping the field [with] a lifetime of innovation and leadership and carries an honorarium of $5000." Awarded at CHI'98 April 23, 1998.
[ 1998 | Doug ] 3l
1998. National Inventors Hall of Fame. The National Inventors Hall of Fame, which celebrates the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of great American inventors, inducted Douglas Engelbart "In recognition of an innovation that has contributed to the nation's welfare and the progress of science and the useful arts: X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System (the computer mouse) Patent No. 3.541.541 [awarded Nov 17, 1970]." Inducted September 19, 1998 by the US Dept. of Commerce Office of Patents and Trademarks. [ Story & Photos | about | 1998 | doug ]
See also Doug Engelbart's mouse invention in their virtual Patents Timeline, and Doug Engelbart On Exhibit - NIHF to plan a visit. 3m
1998. George R. Stibitz Computer Pioneer Award. Presented by the American Computer Museum in conjunction with the Computer Science Department of Montana State University, "for inventing the Computer Mouse and for pioneering the
Modern Graphical User Interface." The award was established in 1997 "to celebrate innovators at the cutting edge of the computational and biological sciences," recognizing " insightful men and women whose work has powerfully impacted modern life." Awarded May 1998, in Bozeman, Montana. [ About | Doug | Prev Recipients ] 3n
1997. ACM Alan M. Turing Award. Presented May 10, 1998 during the ACM Awards Banquet, held in conjunction with ACM's Policy 98 Conference in Washington, DC. "for over 30 years of inspiring vision into the future of interactive and organizational computing and his invention and/or innovation of key technologies." [ about | recipients | doug ] 3p
1997. Lemelson-MIT Prize. Presented April 10 at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC, with a check for $500,000. This award is sponsored by the Lemelson-MIT Awards Program "to provide positive role models for American youngsters, and celebrate excellence in creativity, invention and innovation ... Engelbart's contributions to the future of computing extend beyond his revolutionary innovations," said Lemelson. "His achievements signal the importance of vision and determination that will inspire future generations of innovators." The $500k Prize program was concluded in 2019 after 25 years, turning focus to fostering young inventors. [ About | Recipients | Doug | Video Clips | Impact | Press 1 | Press 2
] 3q
1997. Discovery Hackers' Hall of Fame. Inductee into the Discovery Channel's Hackers' Hall of Fame, "Among other inventions, Dr. Engelbart is responsible for hypertext, windows, cross-file editing and the mouse. There would be no Net hacking without him." [ About | 1997 Inductees ] 3r
1996. ASIS Special Award. Awarded by the American Society for Information Science
"which confers recognition on special achievements during a career" at their annual awards banquet on October 23, 1996. 3s
1996. Distinguished Engineering Alumnus. Awarded on September 25, 1996 by the University of California, Berkeley, Engineering Alumni Society. This award
"... honors Douglas C. Engelbart - who by his vision and invention has changed the way we work and create - has brought distinction to the College of Engineering and it's alumni." 3t
1996. Franklin Institute Certificate of Merit. Awarded
"for development of the mouse and a style of human-computer interaction that is now an accepted part of the graphical user interface." The award was established by the Franklin Institute's Committee on Science and the Arts, upon reviewing critical milestones in the history of the computer and the individuals responsible, to recognize their "unique and critical contributions in the development of the computer for the modern world." Presented May 1, 1996, in Philadelphia, as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ENIAC Computer. [ 1996 | Doug ] 3u
1995. SoftQuad Web Award. Presented at the World Wide Web conference, Boston, MA, December 13, 1995. "Commemorating a lifetime of imagination and achievement and for his contribution to computing, communication, collaborative work and the foundations of the World Wide Web." A special selection of readings by Engelbart, titled "Boosting Our Collective IQ," was published to commemorate the event. The award was established in 1995 to honor "whose vision and work helped make the Web Possible." [ Story & Photos ] 3v
1995. John J. Anderson Distinguished Achievement Award. A MacUser's Editors' Choice, aka "Eddy" Award, presented at the 10th Annual MacUser Awards Ceremony, San Francisco, CA, January 3, 1995. [ about ] 3w
1994. Hypertext Douglas Engelbart Best Paper Award. Established by the ACM International Conference on Hypertext and Hypermedia as an award
"for excellence in scholarship to be awarded to the authors of the best paper presented at the annual SIGLINK conference... in perpetuity." The award is named after Douglas C. Engelbart, "in recognition of his life's work and contributions to the field of hypertext and hypermedia". The award was announced at the 1994 European Conference on Hypertext (ECHT'94). The conference was later renamed SIGWEB for the ACM Special Interest Group on Hypertext and the Web. [ About ] 3x
1994. Certificate of Appreciation from Smart Valley Inc. For
"significant contribution toward furthering the goals of Smart Valley, Inc." 3y
1994. Honorary Doctorate Degree - OSU. From Oregon State University "the degree of Doctor of Engineering, with all the rights, privileges, and honors thereto appertaining." Awarded June 12, 1994. [award photo | recipients | press] 3z
1994. Price Waterhouse Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented at the Computerworld Smithsonian awards program in Washington, DC,
on June 6th to recognize "outstanding dedication, courage and cooperative spirit" in the area of information technology. In conjunction with this award, the Smithsonian has recorded an oral history of Engelbart to be added to their permanent research collection, and to the special display for these awards in the Smithsonian Exhibit on the Information Age. 3aa
1992. IEEE Computer Pioneer Award. Presented by the IEEE Computer Society January 7,
"as an acknowledgment of his seminal contributions in computer science, in particular those in the field of Human Computer Interaction. This award was established to recognize and honor the vision of outstanding individuals whose efforts have resulted in the creation and continued vitality of the electronic computer industry." [about | details | video] 3ab
1992. Pioneer of the Electronic Frontier. Presented in Washington DC by the Electronic Frontier Foundation on March 19, naming Engelbart as "one of the original moving forces in the personal
computer revolution who is responsible for many ubiquitous features of
today's computers such as the mouse, the technique of windowing, display
editing, hypermedia, groupware and many other inventions and innovations [...] one of our era's true visionaries." This award was established in 1992 to
"recognize key leaders in the fight for freedom and innovation online." [ about | 1992 recipients | past recipients ] 3ab
1991. Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented by the Dominican College of San Rafael, CA, Oct. 18. 3ac
1991. Distinguished Alumnus Award. Presented by the UC Berkeley Computer Science and Engineering Department on May 25,
"for Pioneering Contributions to the Conception and Design of Interactive Computer Systems." 3ad
1991. American Ingenuity Award. Presented March 14 at the National Association of Manufacturers' Congress of American Industry in Washington DC, with a trophy and medallion inducting him into the American Ingenuity Hall of Fame. This award is sponsored by Coors "to honor individuals who have forever changed the way we do business in the United States. This annual award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments are due largely to innovation and perseverance... who have had the courage to bring forth new ideas, but may have done so without widespread recognition." The panel of judges included a U.S. Senator and senior executives from industry. Recognition for this award was noted in the Congressional Record by Senator John Seymour on March 14 (Vol.137, No. 44, pp. S3453-4). 3ae
1990. ACM Software System Award. Awarded to Engelbart along with Bill English and Jeff Rulifson, two chief architects from his historic SRI lab "For their pioneering work on augmenting human intellect
with hypertext, outline processors, and video conferencing
that was implemented in the NLS System [On Line System] (1968)." Presented at the ACM computer conference in San Antonio, TX, March 5, 1991, as "a fitting recognition of the importance of this seminal work on interactive system design." [ about | recipients | doug ] 3af
1990. ENA Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented by the Electronic Networking Association
"for Vision, Inspiration, and Contribution," at their fifth international conference in San Francisco, CA, May 1990. [ tweet ] 3ag
1989. Citation for Distinguished Service and Outstanding Contributions in His Field. Presented by the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity at a National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri (also awarded to Robert Stempel, then president of GM). 4a
1987. Lifetime Achievement Award for Technical Excellence. Presented by PC Magazine at COMDEX in Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 1987, stating
"Engelbart's contribution to personal computing is almost inestimable." [ About | Doug | Press ] 4b
1987. E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award. Presented by the Oregon State University Alumni Association on May 9, 1987 for "significantly contributing to society and whose accomplishments and career has brought credit to his alma mater." A room in the new Engineering Building was also named in his honor. [About | Doug | Press] 4c
1968. FJCC Special Recognition. Awarded by the Fall Joint Computer Conference Technical Program Committee in appreciation to Doug and his Associates "for your most unusual contribution to the success of our program" on December 9, 1968 in San Francisco. For more information about said "unusual contribution," and links to archive footage of it, visit our Mother of All Demos portal. 5a
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