IEEE REACH has amazing supporters.

The IEEE History Center is extremely grateful to our generous donors—individuals, corporations, and foundations—who have given to the REACH Program to enable this important educational program to be built and to grow. Their philanthropic spirit is an inspiration, and we would like to recognize those who have given over $10,000 here. We are thankful for all of our donors, no matter the amount, each of whom are recognized in our annual honor roll of donors where we list all those who give to any program of the IEEE History Center.

We are also grateful to the other nonprofit institutions—such as museums, libraries, associations, and historical societies—who have so graciously partnered with us, providing access to artifacts and collections, in addition to in-kind contributions, without which REACH would not have been possible.

  • Emerson and Elizabeth (Betsy) Pugh

    Emerson and Elizabeth (Betsy) Pugh

    For more than a quarter of a century, Emerson and Betsy Pugh have generously invested their time, talent, and treasure to enable the IEEE History Center to preserve and promote the history of technology. 2020 marked the 40th anniversary of the Center. To celebrate the milestone, the Pugh’s decided that an investment in IEEE REACH was a good way to increase technological literacy of the next generation. Their visionary leadership and benevolence provides teachers with free Online Educational Resources (OER) that enrich the classroom experience and enhance students’ ability to gain insight and knowledge of the impact of technology and science on society.
  • The Ross Family: Christina, Tim, Nancy and Stina

    The Ross Family: Christina, Tim, Nancy and Stina

    We donate to and support REACH in honor of Ian M. Ross, IEEE Fellow. "Ian was so fond of IEEE and his work in the field. The importance of STEM education for the next generation of engineers is crucial in advancing electronic achievements. It is our wish to provide teachers and students with resources that inspire future engineers."
  • In Memory of John Meredith

    In Memory of John Meredith

    Regarded as a kind and generous friend, mentor, advocate and leader, John Meredith was often the quiet force whispering encouragement in support of worthy IEEE initiatives and future leaders. He tirelessly and passionately pursued his many interests, which included volunteering for IEEE, inspiring others to volunteer for IEEE, education at all levels, the US Navy, and the history of technology. Together, his wife Lorraine and IEEE friends established a fund within the IEEE Foundation to invest in IEEE programs that match John’s interests. REACH, with its goal of bringing the history of technology alive in the classroom and the resources focused on early maritime navigation, was a perfect match.
  • Peter A and Gretchen Lewis

    Peter A and Gretchen Lewis

    As an engineer, I am acutely aware that as a profession we have made technology so easy to use it is almost invisible. As a result, people have become very dependent upon technology and many lack a strong understanding about how technological systems work. This could lead to problems related to knowing when to rely upon, or when to question technology.

    By bringing together the history of technological developments and their social implications with current applications, REACH provides an opportunity for teachers to help students’ develop critical thinking skills. By supporting REACH, we are making an investment in the students to help them avoid being misled by the wonders of continuous technological  advancements and appreciate that new features of the latest device may not always provide the answers they are seeking.
  • Ray and Carmen Vargas

    Ray and Carmen Vargas

    In high school, my fascination with computers and circuits drove me towards the math and science classes that ultimately led me to a career designing integrated circuits as an electrical engineer. However, now we both see a lack of interest by too many students in obtaining even a basic understanding of engineering concepts and the history of technology development. Many don’t see the relevance of traditional math and science classes, perhaps because they are not being taught how the mathematical techniques and scientific principles they learn in the classroom are actually used to solve modern problems and develop the technology that we all take for granted today.

    We have been very supportive of the IEEE Foundation, and in particular the IEEE REACH (Raising Engineering Awareness through the Conduit of History) program. Rather than donate to a specific school, we would rather directly support an initiative such as REACH that can potentially benefit every high school student. Teaching the social and practical implications of technology in the history classroom might ignite an interest in engineering that could steer more students towards STEM fields. I remember reading in my college calculus textbook a quote from Isaac Newton: ‘If I have seen a little farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.’ Perhaps REACH can find students that might have been otherwise lost by sparking their imagination with technologies of the past and inspiring them with the possibilities the future can hold.
  • Institute of Navigation

    Institute of Navigation

    The Institute of Navigation (ION) is the premier professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the art and science of positioning, navigation and timing. REACH's Early Maritime Navigation Learning Inquiry unit is uniquely aligned with ION’s mission to develop and promote programs that engage youth in navigation and allied arts and sciences. ION is proud to support IEEE's REACH program and support the introduction of the next generation of potential navigators in a creative humanities-based environment.

  • American Merchant Marine Museum

    American Merchant Marine Museum

    Since 1979, the American Merchant Marine Museum has preserved, displayed, and interpreted historic artifacts and artwork related to the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), the U.S. Merchant Marine, and the profession of seafaring.  It employs imaginative exhibitions and displays to illustrate what the American merchant marine is and who its leaders have been.  The Museum is free and open to the public (currently on a reservation-only basis), but its true importance lies in furthering the educational mission of USMMA by instilling in midshipmen an appreciation for the significant contributions made by the maritime services to the nation’s heritage, and in particular by USMMA graduates and personnel in peace and war. Located in the former William Barstow mansion, the Museum is home to a fabulous collection of ship models, marine art, ship’s china, a large collection of priceless navigation instruments, and many other interesting items, including a “Japanese Surrender Sword” given to USMMA by General Douglas MacArthur at the end of World War II.
  • The Intrepid

    The Intrepid

    The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, one of New York City’s most original educational institutions, uses history and technology to inspire innovation and leadership. A collection of technological firsts informs visitors about modern advancements, showcases what is possible and encourages people to dream. At the Intrepid Museum, we teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and we show how scientific innovation intersects with history. The Museum’s mission to educate is part of an overall objective to inspire leaders, inventors and others who will better our world. As an educational and cultural nonprofit institution centered on the aircraft carrier Intrepid, a National Historic Landmark, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum promotes the awareness and understanding of history, science and service through its collections, exhibitions and programming in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth.
  • Mystic Seaport

    Mystic Seaport

    Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT and include a recreated 19th-century coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, a Planetarium, and a state-of-the-art Collections and Research Center. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence. The Museum hosts 250,000 visitors annually and has an active membership base of 16,000 from all over the Unites States and the world. A stroll through the historic village transports visitors back to the mid-1800s where they can experience firsthand from staff historians, storytellers, musicians, and craftspeople just what life was like to earn ones living from the sea. In the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, they can watch shipwrights keeping the skills and techniques of traditional shipbuilding alive as they restore and maintain the Museum’s watercraft collection.
  • Texas A&M University Library

    Texas A&M University Library

    Texas A&M University Libraries house a rich array of resources assembled to support the research, learning and teaching at Texas A&M. Made up of five unique libraries, the Texas A&M University Libraries serve the entire diverse student and faculty population at Texas A&M through physical and online resources. To learn more about the services and materials available visit http://library.tamu.edu
  • The Printing Museum – Houston

    The Printing Museum – Houston

    The Printing Museum, founded in 1979, is one of only four printing museums in the country. The museum’s mission is to preserve and promote the history, technology, and art of printing. Through its permanent collection of historical documents, fine art prints, and antique printing equipment, The Printing museum narrates the story of printed communication and the ways in which printing technologies have transformed lives. In addition, the museum maintains three gallery spaces devoted to temporary exhibitions and four working studios dedicated to book arts and fine art printing.
  • The New Jersey Antique Radio Club’s Radio Technology Museum

    The New Jersey Antique Radio Club’s Radio Technology Museum

    The New Jersey Antique Radio Club's Radio Technology Museum documents the history and science of radio and represents a significant educational experience for the visitor. The museum emphasizes New Jersey’s role in the emerging Information Age. Displays cover the following areas: Early History of Wireless, The 1920s, The 1930s-40s, World War 2 Military Electronics, Short-Wave Radio, Recording, Television, and Radio in the 21st Century.
  • East Rochester Historical Society

    East Rochester Historical Society

    In the late 1950s, Lucille Saunders, the East Rochester Village Historian, had visions of collecting and preserving local history information and artifacts. The Village was only 60 years old, with many early settlers still living in town. The year 1947 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Village. Material had been researched and collected for the event and later it became the start of the Local History Department. After two years of intense collecting of local memorabilia in the early 60s, a Local History Room was established in October, 1962 in the Fryatt Memorial Building at 901 Main Street. Retta Fryatt, widow of B.J.Fryatt who was one of the first businessmen in Despatch, had donated her gracious home to the Village in 1954.
  • The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

    The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum

    The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum can trace its roots back to 1937, founded as the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. In 1971 our organization purchased an abandoned train station just 20 miles south of Rochester with the goal of restoring the facility as a history museum. Over the past 40 years we have acquired New York State's largest collection of historic trains, operated on a one-mile demonstration railroad constructed by our volunteers. We bring Rochester's rich railroading heritage to life by hosting rides and special events from April through December. For more information, please visit http://www.rgvrrm.org.
  • The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park

    The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park

    Thomas Edison was an unknown young inventor when he moved his experimental facilities to the tiny village of Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876. Then, in a six-year burst of astonishing creativity, he patented approximately 400 inventions, including the phonograph and devices for electric light and power generation, and he revolutionized the process of invention itself. Known around the world as the Wizard of Menlo Park, Edison made himself and Menlo Park famous, and to this day, both names are synonymous with the spirit of invention. The Center’s grounds, located within the 36-acre Edison State Park, includes historic foundations of the Menlo Park library and office, nature trails, and the 1938 Edison Memorial Tower. The Tower is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. Fully escorted tours are given inside the museum and Tower during our public hours and for group tours. We offer Seniors, School, Camp, Scout, and Corporate tours. Public Tours: Thurs, Fri, Sat. 10:00am-4:00pm, and available upon request for different days and times for large groups. Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, 37 Christie Street, Edison, New Jersey. 732-549-3299
  • The Skyscraper Museum

    The Skyscraper Museum

    Located in New York City, the world's first and foremost vertical metropolis, The Skyscraper Museum celebrates the City's rich architectural heritage and examines the historical forces and individuals that have shaped its successive skylines. Through exhibitions, programs, and publications, the Museum explores tall buildings as objects of design, products of technology, sites of construction, investments in real estate, and places of work and residence.
  • Lewis Latimer House Museum

    Lewis Latimer House Museum

    The Lewis Latimer House Museum is a New York City landmark, and the historic house of African American inventor, humanist and son of fugitive slaves Lewis Howard Latimer. The Lewis Latimer House Museum calls attention to Latimer’s and other minorities’ contributions to American life. Latimer’s life story is a point of departure from which to examine issues of race, class, immigration, and contemporary events.  The museum teaches STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) programs in our Tinker Lab through innovative hands-on projects treating science and technology as an integral part of the humanities.

Your gift to IEEE REACH – at any level – can make a real impact. We hope you’ll donate an amount that’s meaningful to you, whether is’s $50, $100, $200 or more. Join our ranks of supporters by donating to IEEE REACH or The Foundation today.

“I am fascinated with how ideas impact history and I usually reflect on ideologies and how they influence all cultures. Using REACH in my classroom made me realize how much technology fits right into my passion.”

– Laurie Bisconti, Social Studies Teacher

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