William T. Pecora

Pecora, a geologist, served as director of the U.S. Geological Survey from 1965 to 1971 and as under secretary of the Department of the Interior from 1971 until his death in 1972. Pecora advocated for the potential of remote sensing for Earth observation and led the development of the Earth Resources Observation Systems program in 1966. He died just days before the July 23, 1972, launch of the Landsat 1 satellite, which began the fulfillment of his vision and a 50-year-plus legacy. This award, established in 1974, honors Pecora’s memory.

“The course seems clear; we must make and execute bold plans to gather data on the Earth’s resources … and to accelerate the search for natural resources,” Pecora said in 1966.