Biologist Wald Wins Honor for Research On Sight Processes

George Wald, professor of Biology, will be the recipient of the 163rd annual Rumford Premium awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kirtley F. Mather, president of the Academy, announced last night.

The award, which consists of a gold and silver medal and a stipend of $5000, was initiated in 1796 for the purpose of encouraging and honoring outstanding discoveries in the area of physics then known as "heat and light." Previous winners include Enrico Fermi, Edwin Langmuir, and Thomas Edison.

Wald received the prize in recognition of the "perceptive studies through which he has illuminated the biochemical basis of vision." The formal presentation ceremony will take place March 11.

Professor of Biology since 1948, Wald has long concentrated on research into the biochemical processes of vision.