Leading the way and giving back. IEEE Life Membership is an official recognition of a strong and sustained commitment to IEEE. Life members get together with their peers, participate in educational excursions, work together to mentor students, and improve their communities.

Chairs Welcome

Howard Wolfman Headshot

Howard Wolfman

Welcome to the new IEEE Life Members Website! This website is packed with valuable information and resources for our members and volunteers. I hope it is helpful to all IEEE Life members!

I feel both excited and challenged to work with the Life Members Committee (LMC) to establish and execute activities and programs for the 38,000 IEEE Life Members (LMs). I hope that 2022 will see the global control of COVID-19 and a return to what we call normalcy. The LMC, along with the 10 Region coordinators, will plan for a normal year but be prepared for alternatives. We will also continue to have an active fundraising program so we can expand the work of IEEE Life members around the world.

We are always looking for LMs to work with us in many ways! I encourage you to volunteer in your local community and see what you can do to foster IEEE Life Members’ continued involvement with both technical and humanitarian activities. Please contact me at [email protected] or reach out to your Region or Chapter Coordinators.

IEEE Life Members History

The Life Members designation, awarded based on age and the length of membership, first started in 1884 when the American Institute of Electrical Engineers was founded. When the AIEE merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers in 1963 to form IEEE, the Life Member Fund was created, along with the Life Member Committee Fund, later simply Life Member Committee (LMC).

The LMC has invested in our Life Members by providing local social, technical, and humanitarian activities that:

  • Keep Life Members active in the IEEE community
  • Encourage life-long learning with events and resources
  • Mentor students and young professionals with outreach and grant initiatives
  • Support fellowships and award programs
  • Honor our legacy by capturing the life histories of our Life Members
  • And so much more!

IEEE Life Membership has grown from 1,045 in 1945 to over 38,000 worldwide in 2022.

IEEE Life Members Qualifications & Benefits

Qualifications

IEEE Life Membership is automatically bestowed upon an active IEEE member who:

  • Has attained the age of 65 years
  • Has been a member of IEEE for such a period that the sum of their age and their years of membership equals or exceeds 100 years

The designation of Life Member is effective on January 1 of the year immediately succeeding the year in which the requirements were met.

Members who qualify will be notified by mail in the fourth quarter of the qualifying year.

Benefits

In addition to being a part in the active IEEE Life Members community—where you can learn, contribute ideas, and make a difference—you’ll also receive these benefits:

  • Dues and regional assessments are waived for a Life Members
  • For qualifying Life members, society fees are waived
  • Individuals may receive reduced member rates at conferences where IEEE is the sole sponsor
  • Life members continue to receive the same benefits that are available to other IEEE members.
  • Life members continue to receive the benefits included in the IEEE Member Discounts Program (includes IEEE Insurance Program)