This award is given to individual members of the international scientific community rather than to a team or to an institution. It honors excellence in technical achievements worthy of international recognition that have been sustained over a period of time. Nominees should reflect a high degree of scientific acumen, imagination and unusual talents in scientific research. Thus, nominees should have made significant contributions to the scientific basis for a wide variety of peaceful applications of nuclear technology. Further, candidates should be held in high esteem by peers engaged in the important task of nuclear research.

The letter notifying Dr. Harbottle of the honor reads as follows:

"It is my pleasure to advise you officially that you have been selected to receive the 1995 Seaborg Medal of the American Nuclear Society (ANS). As you know, the Seaborg Medal is one of the most prestigious awards that the Society can make. I would like to offer you my own personal congratulations at this time.
"The award will be presented at the 1995 ANS Winter Meeting in San Francisco, CA at the Awards Luncheon on October 31, 1995. Further details will be sent to you from ANS headquarters."

The award is in the form of an engraved medal. It was presented during the ANS Winter Meeting in San Francisco in November 1995. This was the ninth presentation of this medal.

Past recipients of the Seaborg Medal are:
1984 - Glenn T. Seaborg
1985 - Manson Benedict
1986 - Robert Avery
1987 - David Okrent
1988 - Leo Yaffe
1989 - Henry Hurwitz, Jr.
1990 - Yoshitugu Mishima
1991 - Not Awarded
1992 - Richard T. Lahey, Jr.
1993 - Not awarded
1994 - Not Awarded
1995 - Garman Harbottle