title: Psychology and the National Medal of Science.
abstract: When Congress created the National Medal of Science in 1959 to be awarded by the president of the United States, psychology was not among the eligible sciences. A concerted lobbying effort in the late 1970s changed that situation, adding social and behavioral sciences to the listing of eligible disciplines. This article describes how the award program was created with more restricted eligibility and the behind-the-scenes actions that led to eligibility being broadened, noting particularly the efforts of one very prominent psychologist who was angry about the exclusion of his science.
authors: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-4100, USA. lowman@unc.edu
authors: Robert P
authors: RP
authors: Lowman
authors: Ludy T
authors: LT
authors: Benjamin
mesh_terms: D001363:Awards and Prizes; D001525:Behavioral Sciences / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008119:Lobbying; D009717:Numismatics / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011584:Psychology / Q000266:history*; D011641:Public Relations; D012586:Science / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000266:history; D012958:Societies, Scientific / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States