Wang Daheng (February 26, 1915 – July 21, 2011) was awarded the Medal of Merit for Two Bombs and One Star, Vice Chairman of China Association for Science and Technology, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Academician of International Academy of Astronautics, eminent optician, important academic founder, pioneer and leader of Chinese optical engineering, outstanding strategic scientist and educator, known as “Father of the Chinese Optical Society".
In 1936, he graduated from the Physics Department of Tsinghua University. In 1938, he went to England to study at Imperial College and Sheffield University. In 1948, he returned to China and pioneered the optical research and optical instrument manufacturing in China, especially the national defense optical engineering area, and was awarded the National Science and Technology Progress Grand Prize. He made important contributions to laser technology, remote sensing technology, metrology science and chromaticity standard, etc. He was the main advocate of the high-tech 863 program, initiated and contributed to the establishment of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He has presided over the making of China's first optical glass, the first electron microscope, the first laser and the first remote sensing science plan, etc. On July 21, 2011, Wang Daheng passed away in Beijing at the age of 96.