The Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy was established by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) in 1948 after a trust fund was created in 1936 by Godfrey Lowell Cabot of Boston, a former president of the NAA.

It is awarded to a living American for "significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States.

[3] The inaugural recipient of the trophy was William F. Durand, "a pioneer in aeronautics, naval propulsion and engineering research methods".

[5] From 2010 onwards, a redesigned trophy featuring a silver obelisk and bronze inscription has been awarded.

[1] The trophy has been awarded to women on four occasions: Olive Ann Beech, founding partner and president of Beech Aircraft, received the award in 1980;[6] Marion Blakey, former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, was honored in 2013,[7] Colleen Barrett, President Emeritus of Southwest Airlines, was the 2016 recipient,[8] and retired NASA astronaut and USAF pilot Eileen Collins[9] received the trophy in 2022.