opportunity, perhaps the most dramatic and exciting one that we will see in our working lifetimes." California Institute of Technology Everhart was president of the California Institute of Technology from 1987 to 1997. As Caltech's president, Everhart authorized the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project, a large-scale experiment that seeks to detect gravitational waves and use them for fundamental research in physics and astronomy. While at Caltech, Everhart was involved in substantial expansion of the university, heading a $350-million fund-raising drive. In 1989, he helped dedicate the Beckman Institute at Caltech, a research center for biology, chemistry, and related sciences. It was the second of five research centers supported by Arnold Orville Beckman and his wife Mabel. Everhart also was involved in the development of the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, supported by the W. M. Keck Foundation; the Gordon and Betty Moore Laboratory of Engineering, supported by Gordon Moore of Intel; and the Fairchild Engineering Library, supported by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. Everhart promoted efforts to hire more female faculty and increase the enrollment of women. In his final year at Caltech the number of women in the freshmen class was double that of the year he joined Caltech. Since 1998, Everhart has served as a trustee of the California Institute of Technology. He sits on the boards of directors of Raytheon and the Kavli Foundation, among others. Harvard University In 1999, Everhart was elected to a six-year terms as Overseer of Harvard University. In 2001 he became a member of the Overseers executive committee. He was one of three overseers who participated in the university's presidential search committee in 2000-01. In 2004, he was elected president of Harvard's Board of Overseers for 2004-05. Awards and honors Everhart has been elected to a number of scientific societies, including the following: 1969, Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1978, Member, National Academy of Engineering 1984, Scientific Member, Böhmische Physical Society 1988, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Sciences 1990, Foreign Member, Royal Academy of Engineering Everhart has received a number of awards, including the following: 1984, IEEE Centennial Medal 1992, Clark Kerr Award 1993, ASEE Centennial Medallion 2002, IEEE Founders Medal 2002, Okawa Prize References External links 1932 births Living people Presidents of the California Institute of Technology 21st-century American physicists Marshall Scholars Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Harvard College alumni UC Berkeley