[1][2] The National Medal of Science was established on August 25, 1959, by an act of the Congress of the United States under Pub.

The medal was originally to honor scientists in the fields of the "physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences".

The first National Medal of Science was awarded on February 18, 1963, for the year 1962 by President John F. Kennedy to Theodore von Kármán for his work at the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The citation accompanying von Kármán's award reads: For his leadership in the science and engineering basic to aeronautics; for his effective teaching and related contributions in many fields of mechanics, for his distinguished counsel to the Armed Services, and for his promoting international cooperation in science and engineering.

[5]The first woman to receive a National Medal of Science was Barbara McClintock, who was awarded for her work on plant genetics in 1970.

[9] According to the Committee, successful candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are applying for U.S. citizenship and who have done work of significantly outstanding merit or that has had a major impact on scientific thought in their field.