to the U.S. government for $1. Later in his career Alvarez served on multiple high level advisory committees related to civilian and military aviation. These included a Federal Aviation Administration task group on future air navigation and air traffic control systems, the President's Science Advisory Committee Military Aircraft Panel, and a committee studying how the scientific community could help improve the United States' capabilities for fighting a nonnuclear war. Alvarez's aviation responsibilities led to many adventures. For example, while working on GCA he became the first civilian to fly a low approach with his view outside the cockpit obstructed. He also flew many military aircraft from the co-pilot's seat, including a B-29 Superfortress and a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. In addition, he survived a crash during World War II as a passenger in a Miles Master. Death Alvarez died on September 1, 1988, of complications from a succession of recent operations for esophageal cancer. His remains were cremated, and his ashes were scattered over Monterey Bay. His papers are in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. Awards and honors Fellow of the American Physical Society (1939) and President (1969) Collier Trophy of the National Aeronautics Association (1946) Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1947) Medal for Merit (1947) Fellow of the American Philosophical Society (1953) Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1958) California Scientist of the Year (1960) Albert Einstein Award (1961) Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1961) National Medal of Science (1963) Michelson Award (1965) Nobel Prize in Physics (1968) Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1969) University of Chicago Alumni Medal (1978) National Inventors Hall of Fame (1978) Enrico Fermi award of the US Department of Energy (1987) IEEE Honorary Membership (1988) The Boy Scouts of America named their Cub Scout SUPERNOVA award for Alvarez (2012) Minor planet 3581 Alvarez is named after him and his son, Walter Alvarez. Selected publications "Two-element variable-power spherical lens", Patent US3305294A (December 1964) Patents Golf training device Electronuclear Reactor Optical range finder with variable angle exponential prism Two-element variable-power spherical lens Variable-power lens and system Subatomic particle detector with liquid electron multiplication medium Method of making Fresnelled optical element matrix Optical element of reduced thickness Method of forming an optical element of reduced thickness Deuterium tagged articles such as explosives and method for detection thereof Stabilized zoom binocular Stand alone collision