Legacy

An old colored photograph of an elderly couple in formal attire

Ed and Marion attending the President's Dinner for the Astronauts, 1969

Edwin A. Link, Jr. died on September 7, 1981, after a long battle with cancer. Just two weeks before, he had set about redesigning his wheelchair - the inventor, adventurer and navigator of both land and sea still found joy in putting his imagination to task. 

Before and after his death, Edwin Link would earn a plethora of awards and honors from different organizations across the country.

  • International Oceanographic Foundation “Pioneer in Exploration” Award (1974)
  • Aviation Hall of Fame (1976)
  • Lindbergh Award (1980)
  • Binghamton University honorary degree (1981)
  • Induction to the International Aerospace Hall of Fame (1992), attended by his sister Marilyn and other relatives and friends

Together with his many patents, personal achievements, and recognition that he was constantly testing the boundaries of human exploration, Ed Link was commended for his endlessly innovative spirit.

“Inventor, industrialist, pioneer of the skies and oceans, you have opened for exploration the heights of the heavens and the depths of the seas…. You have enabled humanity to stretch above and beyond the limits of the known world, into the unknowns of outer space and hydrospace. You believe that the greatest age of discovery for our planet lies ahead, and your avionic, astronautic, and oceanographic inventions have revealed a continuum of new frontiers for our future. For your contributions to science and industry, the State University of New York takes pride in conferring on you, Binghamton’s foremost native son, the degree of Doctor of Science.” 

- May 31, 1981, Binghamton University

An old colored photograph of an elderly man sitting at an organ and facing the camera

Ed Link playing a Link Organ

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