Michelson Morley Award Lecture

Established in 1963, the Michelson-Morley Award is one of CWRU's highest honors and recognizes distinguished scientific achievement and contributions to the advancement of knowledge and the improvement of human welfare. The award is given in the name of Dorothy Huml Hovorka, who was chair of the 1987 Michelson-Morley Centennial Celebration. The award winner receives a $10,000 honor. The award is named in honor of the collaboration of two scientists, Albert A. Michelson, a physics professor at Case School of Applied Sciences, and Edward W. Morley, a chemistry professor at Western Reserve University. Michelson and Morley conducted experiments in 1887 that showed that the speed of light is unaffected by the movement of the Earth through space, and paved the way for Einstein's theory of relativity. Twenty-four recipients have received the Michelson-Morley Award and nine have been Nobel Laureates.