Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk the face of the moon, has been named winner of the 2005 Distinguished Award of Merit, from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

Since 1952, the Award of Merit - the Council's highest award bestowed to an individual - has recognized leaders from government, education, science and business for their exemplary contributions to mankind.

Past recipients have include former Presidents Herbert Hoover and Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Lucius Clay, Peter Kiewit, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, Carl Sagan, and W. Edwards Deming.

Armstrong will receive his award at the Chairman's Banquet/Award of Merit Dinner beginning 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1000 H Street, in downtown Washington, as part of the 2005 ACEC Annual Convention.

In 1966, Armstrong was commander of the Gemini 8 flight that performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. In 1969, as commander for Apollo 11, along with astronauts Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin, he led the successful first landing mission to the moon, with Armstrong becoming the first man to walk its surface.

An Ohio native, Armstrong received a Bachelors Degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University, and a Masters Degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. He became chairman of Ail Systems, Inc., in 1989 and was elected Chairman when that company merged with EDO Corporation in 2000. He retired in 2002.

Armstrong is recipient of many special honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business association of America's engineering industry, representing approximately 5,500 independent engineering companies throughout the United States engaged in the development of America's transportation, environmental, industrial, and other infrastructure. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.

Contact:

American Council of Engineering Companies
Alan D. Crockett, 202-682-4301
Cell: 443-995-6364
acrockett@acec.org