The Langley Gold Medal, or Samuel P. Langley Medal for Aerodromics, is an award given by the Smithsonian Institution for outstanding contributions to the sciences of aeronautics and astronautics. Named in honor of Samuel P. Langley, the Smithsonian's third Secretary, it was authorized by the Board of Regents in 1909.The medal was suggested by Alexander Graham Bell. It is awarded for "meritorious investigations in connection with the science of aerodromics and its application to aviation". Source: Wikipedia (en)