Presidential Medal of Freedom

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Updated November 14, 2025 (R47639)
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Contents

Introduction

Background

History

Design and Protocol

Nomination, Selection, and Presentation

Role for Members of Congress

Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Related CRS Products

Figures

Figure 1. Presidential Medal of Freedom

Tables

Table 1. Number of Presidential Medals of Freedom, by President

Table 2. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Donald J. Trump (2017-2021, 2025-Present)

Table 3. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (2021-2025)

Table 4. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Barack H. Obama (2009-2017)

Table 5. Presidential Medals of Freedom: George W. Bush (2001-2009)

Table 6. Presidential Medals of Freedom: William J. Clinton (1993-2001)

Table 7. Presidential Medals of Freedom: George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)

Table 8. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Ronald W. Reagan (1981-1989)

Table 9. Presidential Medals of Freedom: James E. Carter Jr. (1977-1981)

Table 10. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Gerald R. Ford Jr. (1974-1977)

Table 11. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)

Table 12. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

Table 13. Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1963-2025

Summary

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the U.S. government's highest civilian honor. Awarded by the President, it is often presented to individuals to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields.

Created by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 as the Medal of Freedom, the medal was renamed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Executive Order 11085 (February 22, 1963) allows the President to recognize "any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

The medal is a white star over a red pentagon, surrounded by five gold eagles. At the star's center is a blue circle with 13 gold stars. The Presidential Medal of Freedom comes in two degrees, with the more prestigious version known as the Presidential Medal of Freedom "with distinction."

There is no formal procedure for nominating and selecting recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The President has wide latitude under Executive Order 11515 (March 13, 1970) to award the medal to "any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative." Selections often reflect the President's political and personal interests.

Numerous Members of Congress have sent nominations to the President. Some Members have made floor remarks about potential or past recipients and introduced resolutions congratulating honorees or urging the President to recognize a specific individual.

Between 1963 and 2025, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded 674 times to 671 individuals and one group (the Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team); two people (Ellsworth Bunker and Colin Powell) received the medal twice. This report contains a comprehensive list of honorees and indicates the 56 medals known to have been awarded "with distinction."

Introduction

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the U.S. government's highest civilian honor. Awarded by the President, it is often presented to individuals to recognize a lifetime of significant achievements in the arts, public service, science, or other fields.

This report describes the history of the medal, provides information about its design and related protocol, and discusses the nomination and selection process. It concludes with tables containing a comprehensive list of honorees since 1963.

Background

History

In July 1945, President Harry S. Truman issued an executive order, near the end of World War II, to create the Medal of Freedom. In establishing the award, he sought to honor civilians who "performed a meritorious act or service which has aided the United States" or one of its allies overseas during wartime, "and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate."¹ During the Korean War, President Truman expanded the medal's eligibility to include actions during "any period of national emergency."² It was awarded thousands of times, mostly by federal officials other than the President.³

In his 1955 State of the Union address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for "awards of merit … whereby we can honor our fellow citizens who make great contribution to the advancement of our civilization."⁴ The House twice passed bills to create a Medal for Distinguished Civilian Achievement: H.R. 11923 in the 84th Congress⁵ and H.R. 488 in the 85th Congress.⁶ In each case, the Senate referred the bill to committee and took no further action.⁷

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11085 to modify the Medal of Freedom, including by giving it a new name: the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It would now be awarded solely by the President to "any person who has made an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."⁸

President Kennedy said at the time that

in a period when the national government must call upon an increasing portion of the talents and energies of its citizens, it is clearly appropriate to provide ways to recognize and reward the work of persons, within and without the government, who contribute significantly to the quality of American life.⁹

On July 4, 1963, President Kennedy announced the first slate of 31 honorees.¹⁰ President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the initial Presidential Medals of Freedom two weeks after President Kennedy's assassination, with two posthumous additions to the list: Pope John XXIII and President Kennedy.¹¹

Design and Protocol

Figure 1. Presidential Medal of Freedom

Front of the medal awarded to Rosa Parks in 1996

Source: Library of Congress.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a white star over a red pentagon, surrounded by five gold eagles. At the star's center is a blue circle with 13 gold stars.

Harry D. Temple, the head of the Army's Institute of Heraldry, designed the medal with input from President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.¹² A contemporary White House document described the white star—a symbol displayed on military vehicles—as "the identifying emblem of United States elements in the defense of freedom" and "recognized universally as a symbol of our selfless determination to maintain the freedom and democracy of mankind."¹³

The Presidential Medal of Freedom comes in two degrees, with the more prestigious version known as the Presidential Medal of Freedom "with distinction."

At the first White House awards ceremony, President Johnson described the Presidential Medal of Freedom as "the Nation's highest civil honor."¹⁴ It has also been described as "the civilian equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor"¹⁵ and "the highest civil award that can be presented by the President of the United States."¹⁶

Guides to etiquette and precedence typically list the Presidential Medal of Freedom first among nonmilitary U.S. awards.¹⁷

Nomination, Selection, and Presentation

There is no formal procedure for nominations or the evaluation of potential recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.¹⁸

The President can award the medal to "any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative."¹⁹ Selections often reflect the President's political and personal interests.

The medal is often, though not always, presented at an annual White House ceremony.²⁰

Role for Members of Congress

Numerous Members have sent nominations to the President, often in a formal written letter.²¹

Some Members have also made floor remarks and inserted statements into the Congressional Record about potential or past recipients.²²

In addition, some Members have introduced resolutions urging the President to recognize specific people with the award,²³ and to congratulate or memorialize honorees.²⁴

In recent years, some Members have also asked the President to revoke a previously awarded medal.²⁵ President Barack H. Obama said in 2015 there was "no precedent for revoking the medal."²⁶

Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded 674 times between 1963 and 2025.²⁷

The recipients included 671 individuals and one group, the Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team.²⁸ Two people received the medal twice: Ellsworth Bunker (in 1963 and 1967) and Colin Powell (in 1991 and 1993).

An academic analysis of recipients through 2013 found the most common primary area of achievement was political and public service (about 27% of recipients), followed by art, acting, and music (about 15%) and academia and science (about 14%). Additional areas of achievement included civil rights (about 9% of recipients), humanitarianism and philanthropy (about 6%), military service (about 6%), and journalism and broadcasting (about 6%). Smaller numbers of recipients were recognized for achievements in writing and literature, athletics, labor, business, religion, conservation and environmentalism, and architecture and engineering.²⁹

Table 1 shows the total number of medals awarded by each President. An initial slate of 31 honorees announced by President Kennedy received their medals from his successor, President Johnson, and are included in the latter's total.

Table 1. Number of Presidential Medals of Freedom, by President

President

Number Awarded

Lyndon B. Johnson

89a

Richard M. Nixon

28

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

28

James E. Carter Jr.

34

Ronald W. Reagan

86

George H. W. Bush

38

William J. Clinton

89

George W. Bush

82

Barack H. Obama

118

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

57

Donald J. Trump

25b

Total

674

Sources: CRS analysis based on information from the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, news reports, and White House press releases.

Notes: Current as of November 2025.

a. Includes 31 honorees selected by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination.

b. Incumbent.

Tables 2-12 list honorees by the President who presented their medal. Recipients are listed in alphabetical order by last name.³⁰ The recipients who are known to have been awarded the medal "with distinction" are marked with a table note (a).³¹

Table 2. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Donald J. Trump (2017-2021, 2025-Present)

Name

Year

Miriam Adelson

2018

Bob Cousy

2019

Dan Gable

2020

Orrin G. Hatch

2018

Lou Holtz

2020

Jim Jordan

2021

Jack Keane

2020

Charlie Kirk

2025

Arthur Betz Laffer

2019

Rush Limbaugh

2020

Edwin Meese

2019

Devin Nunes

2021

Alan Cedric Page

2018

Roger Penske

2019

Gary Jim Player

2021

Elvis Presley

2018

Mariano Rivera

2019

Babe Ruth

2018

Jim Ryun

2020

Antonin Scalia

2018

Annika Sorenstam

2021

Roger Thomas Staubach

2018

Jerry West

2019

Tiger Woods

2019

Mildred Didrikson Zaharias

2021

Source: Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents; "President Trump Hosts Medal of Freedom Ceremony for Charlie Kirk," C-SPAN, October 14, 2025, https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-hosts-medal-of-freedom-ceremony-for-charlie-kirk/667148.

Notes: Current as of November 2025.

Table 3. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (2021-2025)

Name

Year

José Andrés

2025

Simone Biles

2022

Michael Bloomberg

2024

Bono

2025

Greg Boyle

2024

Simone Campbell

2022

Ashton B. Carter

2025

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2025

James Clyburn

2024

Elizabeth Dole

2024

Phil Donahue

2024

Medgar Evers

2024

Pope Francis Ia

2025

Michael J. Fox

2025

Juliet García

2022

Gabrielle Giffords

2022

Tim Gill

2025

Jane Goodall

2025

Albert Gore Jr.

2024

Fred Gray Sr.

2022

Fannie Lou Hamer

2025

Steve Jobs

2022

Magic Johnson

2025

Clarence B. Jones

2024

Alexander Karloutsos

2022

Robert Francis Kennedy

2025

John Kerry

2024

Khizr Khan

2022

Ralph Lauren

2025

Frank R. Lautenberg

2024

Katie Ledecky

2024

Opal Lee

2024

Sandra Lindsay

2022

John McCain

2022

Lionel Messi

2025

Diane Nash

2022

Bill Nye

2025

Ellen Ochoa

2024

Nancy Pelosi

2024

Megan Rapinoe

2022

Cecile Richards

2024

Jane Rigby

2024

Teresa Romero

2024

George W. Romney

2025

David M. Rubenstein

2025

Judy Shepard

2024

Alan Simpson

2022

George Soros

2025

George Stevens Jr.

2025

Jens Stoltenberg

2024

Jim Thorpe

2024

Richard Trumka

2022

Wilma L. Vaught

2022

Denzel Washington

2022b

Anna Wintour

2025

Michelle Yeoh

2024

Raul Yzaguirre

2022

Sources: Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents; White House, "President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom," press release, January 4, 2025, https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/04/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom-3; White House, "President Biden Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to His Holiness Pope Francis," press release, January 11, 2025, https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/11/president-biden-awards-presidential-medal-of-freedom-with-distinction-to-his-holiness-pope-francis.

a. Medal known to be awarded "with distinction."

b. Announced in July 2022, presented in January 2025.

Table 4. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Barack H. Obama (2009-2017)

Name

Year

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

2016

John H. Adams

2011

Alvin Ailey

2014

Madeleine Albright

2012

Isabel Allende

2014

Maya Angelou

2011

Ernie Banks

2013

Yogi Berra

2015

Joseph R. Biden Jr.a

2017

Ben Bradlee

2013

Nancy Brinker

2009

Tom Brokaw

2014

Warren Buffett

2011

George H. W. Bush

2011

Bonnie Carroll

2015

James Earl Chaney

2014

Shirley Chisholm

2015

William J. Clinton

2013

Elouise Cobell

2016

Robert De Niro

2016

Ellen DeGeneres

2016

John David Dingell

2014

John Michael Doar

2012

Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus

2014

Bob Dylan

2012

Emilio Estefan Jr.

2015

Gloria Estefan

2015

William H. Foege

2012

Billy Frank

2015

Richard Lawrence Garwin

2016

Bill Gates

2016

Melinda Gates

2016

Robert M. Gates

2011

Frank O. Gehry

2016

John Glenn

2012

Andrew Goodman

2014

Pedro Jose Greer Jr.

2009

Lee H. Hamilton

2015

Margaret Hamilton

2016

Tom Hanks

2016

Suzan Shown Harjo

2014

Stephen Hawking

2009

Gordon Hirabayashi

2012

Grace Hopper

2016

Dolores Huerta

2012

Daniel Inouye

2013

Jasper Johns

2011

Katherine Johnson

2015

Michael Jordan

2016

Daniel Kahneman

2013

Jan Karski

2012

Jack French Kemp

2009

Edward M. Kennedy

2009

Ethel Kennedy

2014

Billie Jean King

2009

Gerda Weissmann Klein

2011

John Robert Lewis

2011

Maya Lin

2016

Tom Little

2011

Juliette Gordon Low

2012

Joseph E. Lowery

2009

Richard Green Lugar

2013

Loretta Lynn

2013

Yo-Yo Ma

2011

Willie Mays

2015

Joseph Medicine Crow

2009

Sylvia Mendez

2011

Angela Merkel

2011

Lorne Michaels

2016

Barbara Mikulski

2015

Abner Joseph Mikva

2014

Harvey Milk

2009

Patsy Takemoto Mink

2014

Newton Minow

2016

Mario Molina

2013

Toni Morrison

2012

Stan Musial

2011

Sandra Day O'Connor

2009

Eduardo Padrón

2016

Shimon Peres

2012

Itzhak Perlman

2015

Sidney Poitier

2009

Robert Redford

2016

Sally K. Ride

2013

Chita Rivera

2009

Mary Robinson

2009

Diana Ross

2016

Janet D. Rowley

2009

Edward Roybal

2014

William Doyle Ruckelshaus

2015

Bill Russell

2011

Bayard Rustin

2013

Arturo Sandoval

2013

Michael Henry Schwerner

2014

Vin Scully

2016

Charlie Sifford

2014

Dean Smith

2013

Jean Kennedy Smith

2011

Robert M. Solow

2014

Stephen Sondheim

2015

Steven Spielberg

2015

Bruce Springsteen

2016

Gloria Steinem

2013

John Paul Stevens

2012

Meryl Streep

2014

Barbra Streisand

2015

Pat Summitt

2012

John J. Sweeney

2011

James Taylor

2015

Marlo Thomas

2014

Desmond Tutu

2009

Cicely Tyson

2016

C. T. Vivian

2013

Patricia M. Wald

2013

Oprah Winfrey

2013

Stevie Wonder

2014

Minoru Yasui

2015

Muhammad Yunus

2009

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

a. Medal known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 5. Presidential Medals of Freedom: George W. Bush (2001-2009)

Name

Year

Hank Aaron

2002

Muhammad Ali

2005

Robert LeRoy Bartley

2003

Jacques Barzun

2003

Gary Becker

2007

Oscar Elias Biscet

2007

Tony Blair

2009

L. Paul Bremer

2004

Edward W. Brooke

2004

Carol Burnett

2005

Ben Carson

2008

Vinton G. Cerf

2005

Julia Child

2003

Roberto Clemente

2003

Van Cliburn

2003

Francis Collins

2007

Ruth Johnson Colvin

2006

Robert Conquest

2005

Bill Cosby

2002

Ryan C. Crocker

2009

Doris Day

2004

Placido Domingo

2002

Peter F. Drucker

2002

Anthony S. Fauci

2008

Norman C. Francis

2006

Aretha Franklin

2005

Tommy R. Franks

2004

Katharine Graham

2002

Alan Greenspan

2005

Vartan Gregorian

2004

Andy Griffith

2005

Gilbert Melville Grosvenor

2004

Paul Harvey

2005

Vaclav Havel

2003

Donald A. Henderson

2002

Charlton Heston

2003

Gordon B. Hinckley

2004

Benjamin L. Hooks

2007

John Howard

2009

Henry Hyde

2007

Pope John Paul II

2004

Paul Johnson

2006

Robert E. Kahn

2005

B. B. King

2006

Irving William Kristol

2002

Brian Lamb

2007

Tom Lantos

2008

Estee Lauder

2004

Joshua Lederberg

2006

Harper Lee

2007

Nelson Mandela

2002

David McCullough

2006

Norman Yoshio Mineta

2006

Gillespie V. ("Sonny") Montgomery

2005

Gordon E. Moore

2002

Rita Moreno

2004

Richard B. Myers

2005

Jack Nicklaus

2005

Buck O'Neil

2006

Peter Pace

2008

Arnold Palmer

2004

Arnall Patz

2004

Norman Podhoretz

2004

Nancy Reagan

2002

George Islay MacNeill Robertson

2003

Frank Robinson

2005

Fred Rogers

2002

A. M. Rosenthal

2002

Paul Rusesabagina

2005

William L. Safire

2006

Donna Shalala

2008

Natan Sharansky

2006

Laurence H. Silberman

2008

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

2007

Edward Teller

2003

George Tenet

2004

Dave Thomas

2003

Alvaro Uribe

2009

Byron R. White

2003

James Q. Wilson

2003

John Wooden

2003

Walter Wriston

2004

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

Table 6. Presidential Medals of Freedom: William J. Clinton (1993-2001)

Name

Year

Arnold Aronson

1998

Arthur Ashe

1993

Brooke Astor

1998

Lloyd Bentsen

1999

Joseph Bernardin

1996

Herbert "Herblock" Block

1994

James Scott Brady

1996

William J. Brennan Jr.

1993

Edgar M. Bronfman Sr.

1999

James E. Burke

2000

James E. Carter Jr.

1999

Rosalynn Carter

1999

John Hubbard Chafee

2000

Peggy Charren

1995

Cesar Chavez

1994

Wesley Clark

2000

William T. Coleman Jr.

1995

Robert Coles

1998

Joan Ganz Cooney

1995

William James Crowe

2000

Justin Dart Jr.

1998

Bob Dole

1997

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

1993

Evelyn Dubrow

1999

Marian Wright Edelman

2000

James Farmer

1998

Dante Bruno Fascell

1998

Maria Isolina Ferre

1999

Zachary Fisher

1998

Arthur Sherwood Flemming

1994

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

1999

John Hope Franklin

1995

J. William Fulbright

1993

Millard Fuller

1996

John Kenneth Galbraith

2000

James P. Grant

1994

David A. Hamburg

1996

Dorothy Irene Height

1994

Frances Hesselbein

1998

Leon A. Higginbotham Jr.

1995

George G. Higgins

2000

Oliver W. Hill

1999

Jesse Jackson

2000

Mildred Jeffrey

2000

Frank Johnson Jr.

1995

John H. Johnson

1996

Barbara Jordan

1994

Max M. Kampelman

1999

Lane Kirkland

1994

Helmut Kohl

1999

C. Everett Koop

1995

Fred Korematsu

1998

Mathilde Krim

2000

Eugene M. Lang

1996

Sol Myron Linowitz

1998

Wilma Mankiller

1998

Thurgood Marshall

1993

George Stanley McGovern

2000

Bob Michel

1994

George John Mitchell

1999

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

2000

Margaret Murie

1998

Gaylord Nelson

1995

Jan Nowak

1996

Mario G. Obledo

1998

Antonia Pantoja

1996

Rosa Parks

1996

William James Perry

1997

Colin Powella

1993

Joseph L. Rauh Jr.

1993

Martha Raye

1993

Walter Philip Reuther

1995

Cruz Reynoso

2000

Elliot Richardson

1998

David Rockefeller

1998

James W. Rouse

1995

Ginetta Sagan

1996

John Shalikashvili

1997

Albert Shanker

1998

Sargent Shriver

1994

Aung San Suu Kyi

2000

Gardner C. Taylor

2000

Mo Udall

1996

William C. Velasquez

1995

Lew R. Wasserman

1995

Edgar Wayburn

1999

Simon Wiesenthal

2000

John Minor Wisdom

1993

Elmo R. Zumwalt

1998

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

a. Medal known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 7. Presidential Medals of Freedom: George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)

Name

Year

James Addison Baker III

1991

Lucille Ball

1989

David Brinkley

1992

William F. Buckley Jr.

1991

Johnny Carson

1992

Dick Cheney

1991

Javier Perez de Cuellar

1991

C. Douglas Dillon

1989

James Harold Doolittle

1989

Luis A. Ferre

1991

Ella Fitzgerald

1992

Betty Ford

1991

Hannah Holborn Gray

1991

Friedrich August von Hayek

1991

Audrey Hepburn

1992

George F. Kennan

1989

Tip O'Neill

1991

I. M. Pei

1992

Claude Pepper

1989

Richard Petty

1992

Colin Powell

1991

Ronald W. Reagana

1993

Harry W. Schlaudeman

1992

H. Norman Schwarzkopf

1991

Brent Scowcroft

1991

Margaret Chase Smith

1989

Isaac Stern

1992

Leon Sullivan

1991

Margaret Thatcher

1991

Strom Thurmond

1993

Russell Eroll Train

1991

John William Vessey

1992

Lech Walesa

1989

Vernon Anthony Walters

1991

Sam Walton

1992

William Hedgcock Webster

1991

Elie Wiesel

1992

Ted Williams

1991

Sources: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States; Associated Press, "Bush Honors Webster," July 25, 1991; Christopher Connell, "Bush Gives Thurmond An Award," Associated Press, January 12, 1993.

a. Medal known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 8. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Ronald W. Reagan (1981-1989)

Name

Year

Walter H. Annenberg

1986

Anne Legendre Armstrong

1987

Pearl Bailey

1988

Howard Henry Baker Jr.

1984

George Balanchine

1983

Malcolm Baldrige

1988

Count Basie

1985

Red Blaik

1986

Eubie Blake

1981

Irving Brown

1988

Paul William Bryant

1983

Warren E. Burger

1988

James Burnham

1983

James Cagney

1984

Peter Alexander Rupert Carrington

1988

Whittaker Chambers

1984

James Edward Cheek

1983

Leo Cherne

1984

Terence James Cooke

1984

Denton Arthur Cooley

1984

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

1985

Justin Whitlock Dart

1987

Tennessee Ernie Ford

1984

Milton Friedman

1988

R. Buckminster Fuller

1983

Hector Perez Garcia

1984

Barry Goldwater

1986

Andrew Jackson Goodpaster

1984

Billy Graham

1983

Ella Grasso

1981

Philip Charles Habib

1982

Bryce N. Harlow

1981

Helen Hayes

1986

Eric Hoffer

1983

Jerome Heartwell Holland

1985

Sidney Hook

1985

Vladimir Horowitz

1986

Henry M. Jackson

1984

Jacob Koppel Javits

1983

Walter Henry Judd

1981

Irving Robert Kaufman

1987

Danny Kaye

1987

Jeane Duane Jordan Kirkpatrick

1985

Lincoln Kirstein

1984

Louis L'Amour

1984

Morris I. Leibman

1981

Lyman Louis Lemnitzer

1987

George Michael Low

1985

Clare Boothe Luce

1983

Joseph Luns

1984

Jean Marie Faircloth MacArthur

1988

Dumas Malone

1983

Mike Mansfield

1989

J. Willard Marriott

1988

John A. McCone

1987

Mabel Mercer

1983

Paul Henry Nitze

1985

David Packard

1988

Frederick Douglass Patterson

1987

Norman Vincent Peale

1984

Nathan Perlmutter

1987

Simon Ramo

1983

Frank Reynolds

1985

Matthew Bunker Ridgway

1986

S. Dillon Ripley

1985

Jackie Robinson

1984

Carlos Pena Romulo

1984

Mstislav Rostropovich

1987

Vermont Connecticut Royster

1986

Albert Bruce Sabin

1986

Anwar Sadat

1984

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

1984

George P. Shultz

1989

Frank Sinatra

1985

Kate Smith

1982

Roger L. Stevens

1988

Jimmy Stewart

1985

Mother Teresa

1985

Charles Bates Thornton

1981

William Bertalan Walsh

1987

Albert Coady Wedemeyer

1985

Caspar Willard Weinbergera

1987

Meredith Willson

1987

Albert J. Wohlstetter

1985

Roberta Wohlstetter

1985

Chuck Yeager

1985

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

a. Medal known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 9. Presidential Medals of Freedom: James E. Carter Jr. (1977-1981)

Name

Year

Ansel Adams

1980

Horace Marden Albright

1980

Roger Nash Baldwin

1981

Harold Brown

1981

Zbigniew Brzezinski

1981

Rachel Louise Carson

1980

Lucia Chase

1980

Warren Christopher

1981

Walter Leland Cronkite Jr.

1981

Kirk Douglas

1981

Arthur Joseph Goldberg

1978

Hubert H. Humphrey

1980

Archbishop Iakovos

1980

Lyndon B. Johnson

1980

Martin Luther King Jr.

1977

Margaret Craig McNamara

1981

Margaret Mead

1979

Karl Menninger

1981

Clarence M. Mitchell Jr.

1980

Edmund S. Muskie

1981

Esther Peterson

1981

Roger Tory Peterson

1980

Hyman George Rickover

1980

Jonas Edward Salk

1977

Beverly Sills

1980

Gerald Coad Smith

1981

Robert Schwarz Strauss

1981

Elbert P. Tuttle

1981

Earl Warren

1981

Robert Penn Warren

1980

John Wayne

1980

Eudora Welty

1980

Tennessee Williams

1980

Andrew Young

1981

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

Table 10. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Gerald R. Ford Jr. (1974-1977)

Name

Year

Iorwith Wilbur Abela

1977

John Bardeena

1977

Irving Berlina

1977

Norman Ernest Borlauga

1977

Omar Nelson Bradleya

1977

David Kirkpatrick Este Brucea

1976

Arleigh Albert Burkea

1977

Alexander Caldera

1977

Bruce Cattona

1977

Joe DiMaggioa

1977

Ariel Duranta

1977

Will Duranta

1977

Arthur Fiedlera

1977

Henry Jacob Friendlya

1977

Martha Grahama

1976

Lady Bird Johnsona

1977

Henry Alfred Kissingera

1977

Archibald MacLeisha

1977

James A. Michenera

1977

Georgia O'Keeffea

1977

Jesse Owensa

1976

Nelson A. Rockefellera

1977

Norman Rockwella

1977

Arthur Rubinsteina

1976

Donald Henry Rumsfelda

1977

Catherine Filene Shousea

1977

Lowell Jackson Thomasa

1977

James Watsona

1977

Sources: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

a. Medals known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 11. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)

Name

Year

Edwin Aldrina

1969

Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team

1970

Neil Alden Armstronga

1969

Earl C. Behrens

1970

Manilo Giovanni Brosio

1971

Michael Collinsa

1969

Duke Ellington

1969

Edward Thomas Folliard

1970

John Ford

1973

Samuel Goldwyn

1971

Fred W. Haise

1970

William M. Henry

1970

Paul G. Hoffman

1974

William J. Hopkins

1971

Arthur Krock

1970

Melvin Robert Laird Jr.

1974

David Lawrence

1970

George Gould Lincoln

1970

Jim Lovell

1970

Charles LeRoy Lowman

1974

Raymond Charles Moley

1970

Eugene Ormandy

1970

William P. Rogers

1973

Adela Rogers St. Johns

1970

Jack Swigert

1970

John Paul Vann

1972

DeWitt Wallace

1972

Lila Bell Acheson Wallace

1972

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

a. Medals known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 12. Presidential Medals of Freedom: Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

Name

Year

Dean Gooderham Achesona

1964

Marian Anderson

1963

Eugene Robert Blacka

1969

Detlev W. Bronk

1964

Ralph Johnson Bunchea

1963

McGeorge Bundy

1969

Ellsworth Bunkera

1963

Ellsworth Bunkera

1967

Pablo Casals

1963

Genevieve Caulfield

1963

Clark Clifforda

1969

James B. Conanta

1963

Aaron Copland

1964

Willem de Kooning

1964

Michael E. DeBakey

1969

Walt Disney

1964

James Frank Dobie

1964

David Dubinsky

1969

Lena Frances Edwards

1964

T. S. Eliot

1964

Ralph Ellison

1969

John Franklin Enders

1963

Lynn Fontanne

1964

Henry Ford II

1969

Felix Frankfurtera

1963

John William Gardner

1964

W. Averell Harrimana

1969

Theodore M. Hesburgh

1964

Karl Holton

1963

Bob Hope

1969

Pope John XXIIIa

1963

Clarence Leonard Johnson

1964

Edgar Fosburgh Kaiser

1969

Frederick Russell Kappel

1964

Helen Keller

1964

John F. Kennedya

1963

Robert John Herman Kiphuth

1963

Robert William Komer

1967

Edwin Herbert Land

1963

Mary Woodward Lasker

1969

Herbert Henry Lehman

1963

John Llewellyn Lewis

1964

Walter Lippmann

1964

Eugene M. Locke

1967

Robert Abercrombie Lovetta

1963

Alfred Lunt

1964

J. Clifford MacDonald

1963

John Williams Macy

1969

Luis Munoz Marina

1963

John J. McCloya

1963

Ralph McGill

1964

Robert S. McNamara

1968

George Meany

1963

Alexander Meiklejohn

1963

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

1963

Jean Monneta

1963

Samuel Eliot Morison

1964

Lewis Mumford

1964

Edward R. Murrowa

1964

Reinhold Niebuhr

1964

Gregory Peck

1969

Leontyne Price

1964

Clarence Belden Randall

1963

A. Philip Randolph

1964

Laurance S. Rockefeller

1969

Walt Rostowa

1969

Dean Ruska

1969

Carl Sandburg

1964

Rudolf Serkin

1963

Merriman Smith

1969

Edward Steichen

1963

John Steinbeck

1964

Helen Taussig

1964

George William Taylor

1963

Cyrus Vancea

1969

Carl Vinsona

1964

Alan T. Waterman

1963

Thomas J. Watson Jr.

1964

Mark S. Watson

1963

Annie Dodge Wauneka

1963

James Edwin Webb

1968

E. B. White

1963

Paul Dudley White

1964

William Smith White

1969

Thornton Niven Wilder

1963

Roy Wilkins

1969

Edmund Wilson

1963

Andrew Wyeth

1963

Whitney M. Young Jr.

1969

Sources: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

a. Medals known to be awarded "with distinction."

Table 13 lists all 674 awards of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, listed in alphabetical order by recipient's last name. The recipients who are known to have been awarded the medal "with distinction" are marked with a table note (a).³²

Table 13. Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1963-2025

Name

Year

President

Hank Aaron

2002

George W. Bush

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

2016

Barack H. Obama

Iorwith Wilbur Abela

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Dean Gooderham Achesona

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Ansel Adams

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

John H. Adams

2011

Barack H. Obama

Miriam Adelson

2018

Donald J. Trump

Alvin Ailey

2014

Barack H. Obama

Horace Marden Albright

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Madeleine Albright

2012

Barack H. Obama

Edwin Aldrina

1969

Richard M. Nixon

Muhammad Ali

2005

George W. Bush

Isabel Allende

2014

Barack H. Obama

Marian Anderson

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

José Andrés

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Maya Angelou

2011

Barack H. Obama

Walter H. Annenberg

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Anne Legendre Armstrong

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Neil Alden Armstronga

1969

Richard M. Nixon

Arnold Aronson

1998

William J. Clinton

Arthur Ashe

1993

William J. Clinton

Brooke Astor

1998

William J. Clinton

Pearl Bailey

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

James Addison Baker III

1991

George H. W. Bush

Howard Henry Baker Jr.

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

George Balanchine

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Malcolm Baldrige

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Roger Nash Baldwin

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Lucille Ball

1989

George H. W. Bush

Ernie Banks

2013

Barack H. Obama

John Bardeena

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Robert LeRoy Bartley

2003

George W. Bush

Jacques Barzun

2003

George W. Bush

Count Basie

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Gary Becker

2007

George W. Bush

Earl C. Behrens

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Lloyd Bentsen

1999

William J. Clinton

Irving Berlina

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Joseph Bernardin

1996

William J. Clinton

Yogi Berra

2015

Barack H. Obama

Joseph R. Biden Jr.a

2017

Barack H. Obama

Simone Biles

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Oscar Elias Biscet

2007

George W. Bush

Eugene Robert Blacka

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Red Blaik

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

Tony Blair

2009

George W. Bush

Eubie Blake

1981

Ronald W. Reagan

Herbert "Herblock" Block

1994

William J. Clinton

Michael Bloomberg

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Bono

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Norman Ernest Borlauga

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Greg Boyle

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Ben Bradlee

2013

Barack H. Obama

Omar Nelson Bradleya

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

James Scott Brady

1996

William J. Clinton

L. Paul Bremer

2004

George W. Bush

William J. Brennan Jr.

1993

William J. Clinton

Nancy Brinker

2009

Barack H. Obama

David Brinkley

1992

George H. W. Bush

Tom Brokaw

2014

Barack H. Obama

Edgar M. Bronfman Sr.

1999

William J. Clinton

Detlev W. Bronk

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Edward W. Brooke

2004

George W. Bush

Manilo Giovanni Brosio

1971

Richard M. Nixon

Harold Brown

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Irving Brown

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

David Kirkpatrick Este Brucea

1976

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Paul William Bryant

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Zbigniew Brzezinski

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

William F. Buckley Jr.

1991

George H. W. Bush

Warren Buffett

2011

Barack H. Obama

Ralph Johnson Bunchea

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

McGeorge Bundy

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Ellsworth Bunkera

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Ellsworth Bunkera

1967

Lyndon B. Johnson

Warren E. Burger

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Arleigh Albert Burkea

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

James E. Burke

2000

William J. Clinton

Carol Burnett

2005

George W. Bush

James Burnham

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

George H. W. Bush

2011

Barack H. Obama

James Cagney

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Alexander Caldera

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Simone Campbell

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Peter Alexander Rupert Carrington

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Bonnie Carroll

2015

Barack H. Obama

Ben Carson

2008

George W. Bush

Johnny Carson

1992

George H. W. Bush

Rachel Louise Carson

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Ashton B. Carter

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

James E. Carter Jr.

1999

William J. Clinton

Rosalynn Carter

1999

William J. Clinton

Pablo Casals

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Bruce Cattona

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Genevieve Caulfield

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Vinton G. Cerf

2005

George W. Bush

John Hubbard Chafee

2000

William J. Clinton

Whittaker Chambers

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

James Earl Chaney

2014

Barack H. Obama

Peggy Charren

1995

William J. Clinton

Lucia Chase

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Cesar Chavez

1994

William J. Clinton

James Edward Cheek

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Dick Cheney

1991

George H. W. Bush

Leo Cherne

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Julia Child

2003

George W. Bush

Shirley Chisholm

2015

Barack H. Obama

Warren Christopher

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Wesley Clark

2000

William J. Clinton

Roberto Clemente

2003

George W. Bush

Van Cliburn

2003

George W. Bush

Clark Clifforda

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

William J. Clinton

2013

Barack H. Obama

James Clyburn

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Elouise Cobell

2016

Barack H. Obama

William T. Coleman Jr.

1995

William J. Clinton

Robert Coles

1998

William J. Clinton

Francis Collins

2007

George W. Bush

Michael Collinsa

1969

Richard M. Nixon

Ruth Johnson Colvin

2006

George W. Bush

James B. Conanta

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Robert Conquest

2005

George W. Bush

Terence James Cooke

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Denton Arthur Cooley

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Joan Ganz Cooney

1995

William J. Clinton

Aaron Copland

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Bill Cosby

2002

George W. Bush

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Bob Cousy

2019

Donald J. Trump

Ryan C. Crocker

2009

George W. Bush

Walter Leland Cronkite Jr.

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

William James Crowe

2000

William J. Clinton

Justin Dart Jr.

1998

William J. Clinton

Justin Whitlock Dart

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Doris Day

2004

George W. Bush

Javier Perez de Cuellar

1991

George H. W. Bush

Willem de Kooning

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Robert De Niro

2016

Barack H. Obama

Michael E. DeBakey

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Ellen DeGeneres

2016

Barack H. Obama

C. Douglas Dillon

1989

George H. W. Bush

Joe DiMaggioa

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

John David Dingell

2014

Barack H. Obama

Walt Disney

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

John Michael Doar

2012

Barack H. Obama

James Frank Dobie

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Bob Dole

1997

William J. Clinton

Elizabeth Dole

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Placido Domingo

2002

George W. Bush

Phil Donahue

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

James Harold Doolittle

1989

George H. W. Bush

Kirk Douglas

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

1993

William J. Clinton

Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus

2014

Barack H. Obama

Peter F. Drucker

2002

George W. Bush

David Dubinsky

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Evelyn Dubrow

1999

William J. Clinton

Ariel Duranta

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Will Duranta

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Bob Dylan

2012

Barack H. Obama

Marian Wright Edelman

2000

William J. Clinton

Lena Frances Edwards

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

T. S. Eliot

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Duke Ellington

1969

Richard M. Nixon

Ralph Ellison

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

John Franklin Enders

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Emilio Estefan Jr.

2015

Barack H. Obama

Gloria Estefan

2015

Barack H. Obama

Medgar Evers

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

James Farmer

1998

William J. Clinton

Dante Bruno Fascell

1998

William J. Clinton

Anthony S. Fauci

2008

George W. Bush

Luis A. Ferre

1991

George H. W. Bush

Maria Isolina Ferre

1999

William J. Clinton

Arthur Fiedlera

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Zachary Fisher

1998

William J. Clinton

Ella Fitzgerald

1992

George H. W. Bush

Arthur Sherwood Flemming

1994

William J. Clinton

William H. Foege

2012

Barack H. Obama

Edward Thomas Folliard

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Lynn Fontanne

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Henry Ford II

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

1999

William J. Clinton

Betty Ford

1991

George H. W. Bush

John Ford

1973

Richard M. Nixon

Tennessee Ernie Ford

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Michael J. Fox

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Pope Francis Ia

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Norman C. Francis

2006

George W. Bush

Billy Frank

2015

Barack H. Obama

Felix Frankfurtera

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Aretha Franklin

2005

George W. Bush

John Hope Franklin

1995

William J. Clinton

Tommy R. Franks

2004

George W. Bush

Milton Friedman

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Henry Jacob Friendlya

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

J. William Fulbright

1993

William J. Clinton

Millard Fuller

1996

William J. Clinton

R. Buckminster Fuller

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Dan Gable

2020

Donald J. Trump

John Kenneth Galbraith

2000

William J. Clinton

Hector Perez Garcia

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Juliet García

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

John William Gardner

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Richard Lawrence Garwin

2016

Barack H. Obama

Bill Gates

2016

Barack H. Obama

Melinda Gates

2016

Barack H. Obama

Robert M. Gates

2011

Barack H. Obama

Frank O. Gehry

2016

Barack H. Obama

Gabrielle Giffords

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Tim Gill

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

John Glenn

2012

Barack H. Obama

Arthur Joseph Goldberg

1978

James E. Carter Jr.

Barry Goldwater

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

Samuel Goldwyn

1971

Richard M. Nixon

Jane Goodall

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Andrew Goodman

2014

Barack H. Obama

Andrew Jackson Goodpaster

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Albert Gore Jr.

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Billy Graham

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Katharine Graham

2002

George W. Bush

Martha Grahama

1976

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

James P. Grant

1994

William J. Clinton

Ella Grasso

1981

Ronald W. Reagan

Fred Gray Sr.

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Hannah Holborn Gray

1991

George H. W. Bush

Alan Greenspan

2005

George W. Bush

Pedro Jose Greer Jr.

2009

Barack H. Obama

Vartan Gregorian

2004

George W. Bush

Andy Griffith

2005

George W. Bush

Gilbert Melville Grosvenor

2004

George W. Bush

Philip Charles Habib

1982

Ronald W. Reagan

Fred W. Haise

1970

Richard M. Nixon

David A. Hamburg

1996

William J. Clinton

Fannie Lou Hamer

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Lee H. Hamilton

2015

Barack H. Obama

Margaret Hamilton

2016

Barack H. Obama

Tom Hanks

2016

Barack H. Obama

Suzan Shown Harjo

2014

Barack H. Obama

Bryce N. Harlow

1981

Ronald W. Reagan

W. Averell Harrimana

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Paul Harvey

2005

George W. Bush

Orrin G. Hatch

2018

Donald J. Trump

Vaclav Havel

2003

George W. Bush

Stephen Hawking

2009

Barack H. Obama

Friedrich August von Hayek

1991

George H. W. Bush

Helen Hayes

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

Dorothy Irene Height

1994

William J. Clinton

Donald A. Henderson

2002

George W. Bush

William M. Henry

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Audrey Hepburn

1992

George H. W. Bush

Theodore M. Hesburgh

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Frances Hesselbein

1998

William J. Clinton

Charlton Heston

2003

George W. Bush

Leon A. Higginbotham Jr.

1995

William J. Clinton

George G. Higgins

2000

William J. Clinton

Oliver W. Hill

1999

William J. Clinton

Gordon B. Hinckley

2004

George W. Bush

Gordon Hirabayashi

2012

Barack H. Obama

Eric Hoffer

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Paul G. Hoffman

1974

Richard M. Nixon

Jerome Heartwell Holland

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Karl Holton

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lou Holtz

2020

Donald J. Trump

Sidney Hook

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Benjamin L. Hooks

2007

George W. Bush

Bob Hope

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

William J. Hopkins

1971

Richard M. Nixon

Grace Hopper

2016

Barack H. Obama

Vladimir Horowitz

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

John Howard

2009

George W. Bush

Dolores Huerta

2012

Barack H. Obama

Hubert H. Humphrey

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Henry Hyde

2007

George W. Bush

Archbishop Iakovos

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Daniel Inouye

2013

Barack H. Obama

Henry M. Jackson

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Jesse Jackson

2000

William J. Clinton

Jacob Koppel Javits

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Mildred Jeffrey

2000

William J. Clinton

Steve Jobs

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Pope John Paul II

2004

George W. Bush

Pope John XXIIIa

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Jasper Johns

2011

Barack H. Obama

Frank Johnson Jr.

1995

William J. Clinton

Clarence Leonard Johnson

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

John H. Johnson

1996

William J. Clinton

Katherine Johnson

2015

Barack H. Obama

Lady Bird Johnsona

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Lyndon B. Johnson

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Magic Johnson

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Paul Johnson

2006

George W. Bush

Clarence B. Jones

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Barbara Jordan

1994

William J. Clinton

Jim Jordan

2021

Donald J. Trump

Michael Jordan

2016

Barack H. Obama

Walter Henry Judd

1981

Ronald W. Reagan

Robert E. Kahn

2005

George W. Bush

Daniel Kahneman

2013

Barack H. Obama

Edgar Fosburgh Kaiser

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Max M. Kampelman

1999

William J. Clinton

Frederick Russell Kappel

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Alexander Karloutsos

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Jan Karski

2012

Barack H. Obama

Irving Robert Kaufman

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Danny Kaye

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Jack Keane

2020

Donald J. Trump

Helen Keller

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Jack French Kemp

2009

Barack H. Obama

George F. Kennan

1989

George H. W. Bush

Edward M. Kennedy

2009

Barack H. Obama

Ethel Kennedy

2014

Barack H. Obama

John F. Kennedya

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Robert Francis Kennedy

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

John Kerry

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Khizr Khan

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

1977

James E. Carter Jr.

B. B. King

2006

George W. Bush

Billie Jean King

2009

Barack H. Obama

Robert John Herman Kiphuth

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Charlie Kirk

2025

Donald J. Trump

Lane Kirkland

1994

William J. Clinton

Jeane Duane Jordan Kirkpatrick

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Lincoln Kirstein

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Henry Alfred Kissingera

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Gerda Weissmann Klein

2011

Barack H. Obama

Helmut Kohl

1999

William J. Clinton

Robert William Komer

1967

Lyndon B. Johnson

C. Everett Koop

1995

William J. Clinton

Fred Korematsu

1998

William J. Clinton

Mathilde Krim

2000

William J. Clinton

Irving William Kristol

2002

George W. Bush

Arthur Krock

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Arthur Betz Laffer

2019

Donald J. Trump

Melvin Robert Laird Jr.

1974

Richard M. Nixon

Brian Lamb

2007

George W. Bush

Louis L'Amour

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Edwin Herbert Land

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Eugene M. Lang

1996

William J. Clinton

Tom Lantos

2008

George W. Bush

Mary Woodward Lasker

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Estee Lauder

2004

George W. Bush

Ralph Lauren

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Frank R. Lautenberg

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

David Lawrence

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Katie Ledecky

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Joshua Lederberg

2006

George W. Bush

Harper Lee

2007

George W. Bush

Opal Lee

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Herbert Henry Lehman

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Morris I. Leibman

1981

Ronald W. Reagan

Lyman Louis Lemnitzer

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

John Llewellyn Lewis

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

John Robert Lewis

2011

Barack H. Obama

Rush Limbaugh

2020

Donald J. Trump

Maya Lin

2016

Barack H. Obama

George Gould Lincoln

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Sandra Lindsay

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Sol Myron Linowitz

1998

William J. Clinton

Walter Lippmann

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Tom Little

2011

Barack H. Obama

Eugene M. Locke

1967

Lyndon B. Johnson

Jim Lovell

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Robert Abercrombie Lovetta

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

George Michael Low

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Juliette Gordon Low

2012

Barack H. Obama

Joseph E. Lowery

2009

Barack H. Obama

Charles LeRoy Lowman

1974

Richard M. Nixon

Clare Boothe Luce

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Richard Green Lugar

2013

Barack H. Obama

Joseph Luns

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Alfred Lunt

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Loretta Lynn

2013

Barack H. Obama

Yo-Yo Ma

2011

Barack H. Obama

Jean Marie Faircloth MacArthur

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

J. Clifford MacDonald

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Archibald MacLeisha

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

John Williams Macy

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Dumas Malone

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Nelson Mandela

2002

George W. Bush

Wilma Mankiller

1998

William J. Clinton

Mike Mansfield

1989

Ronald W. Reagan

Luis Munoz Marina

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

J. Willard Marriott

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Thurgood Marshall

1993

William J. Clinton

Willie Mays

2015

Barack H. Obama

John McCain

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

John J. McCloya

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

John A. McCone

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

David McCullough

2006

George W. Bush

Ralph McGill

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

George Stanley McGovern

2000

William J. Clinton

Margaret Craig McNamara

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Robert S. McNamara

1968

Lyndon B. Johnson

Margaret Mead

1979

James E. Carter Jr.

George Meany

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Joseph Medicine Crow

2009

Barack H. Obama

Edwin Meese

2019

Donald J. Trump

Alexander Meiklejohn

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Sylvia Mendez

2011

Barack H. Obama

Karl Menninger

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Mabel Mercer

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Angela Merkel

2011

Barack H. Obama

Lionel Messi

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Lorne Michaels

2016

Barack H. Obama

Bob Michel

1994

William J. Clinton

James A. Michenera

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Barbara Mikulski

2015

Barack H. Obama

Abner Joseph Mikva

2014

Barack H. Obama

Harvey Milk

2009

Barack H. Obama

Norman Yoshio Mineta

2006

George W. Bush

Patsy Takemoto Mink

2014

Barack H. Obama

Newton Minow

2016

Barack H. Obama

Clarence M. Mitchell Jr.

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

George John Mitchell

1999

William J. Clinton

Raymond Charles Moley

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Mario Molina

2013

Barack H. Obama

Jean Monneta

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gillespie V. ("Sonny") Montgomery

2005

George W. Bush

Gordon E. Moore

2002

George W. Bush

Rita Moreno

2004

George W. Bush

Samuel Eliot Morison

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Toni Morrison

2012

Barack H. Obama

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

2000

William J. Clinton

Lewis Mumford

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Margaret Murie

1998

William J. Clinton

Edward R. Murrowa

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Stan Musial

2011

Barack H. Obama

Edmund S. Muskie

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Richard B. Myers

2005

George W. Bush

Diane Nash

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Gaylord Nelson

1995

William J. Clinton

Jack Nicklaus

2005

George W. Bush

Reinhold Niebuhr

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Paul Henry Nitze

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Jan Nowak

1996

William J. Clinton

Devin Nunes

2021

Donald J. Trump

Bill Nye

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Sandra Day O'Connor

2009

Barack H. Obama

Mario G. Obledo

1998

William J. Clinton

Ellen Ochoa

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Georgia O'Keeffea

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Buck O'Neil

2006

George W. Bush

Tip O'Neill

1991

George H. W. Bush

Eugene Ormandy

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Jesse Owensa

1976

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Peter Pace

2008

George W. Bush

David Packard

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Eduardo Padrón

2016

Barack H. Obama

Alan Cedric Page

2018

Donald J. Trump

Arnold Palmer

2004

George W. Bush

Antonia Pantoja

1996

William J. Clinton

Rosa Parks

1996

William J. Clinton

Frederick Douglass Patterson

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Arnall Patz

2004

George W. Bush

Norman Vincent Peale

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Gregory Peck

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

I. M. Pei

1992

George H. W. Bush

Nancy Pelosi

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Roger Penske

2019

Donald J. Trump

Claude Pepper

1989

George H. W. Bush

Shimon Peres

2012

Barack H. Obama

Itzhak Perlman

2015

Barack H. Obama

Nathan Perlmutter

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

William James Perry

1997

William J. Clinton

Esther Peterson

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Roger Tory Peterson

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Richard Petty

1992

George H. W. Bush

Gary Jim Player

2021

Donald J. Trump

Norman Podhoretz

2004

George W. Bush

Sidney Poitier

2009

Barack H. Obama

Colin Powell

1991

George H. W. Bush

Colin Powella

1993

William J. Clinton

Elvis Presley

2018

Donald J. Trump

Leontyne Price

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Simon Ramo

1983

Ronald W. Reagan

Clarence Belden Randall

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

A. Philip Randolph

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Megan Rapinoe

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Joseph L. Rauh Jr.

1993

William J. Clinton

Martha Raye

1993

William J. Clinton

Nancy Reagan

2002

George W. Bush

Ronald W. Reagana

1993

George H. W. Bush

Robert Redford

2016

Barack H. Obama

Walter Philip Reuther

1995

William J. Clinton

Frank Reynolds

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Cruz Reynoso

2000

William J. Clinton

Cecile Richards

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Elliot Richardson

1998

William J. Clinton

Hyman George Rickover

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Sally K. Ride

2013

Barack H. Obama

Matthew Bunker Ridgway

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

Jane Rigby

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

S. Dillon Ripley

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Chita Rivera

2009

Barack H. Obama

Mariano Rivera

2019

Donald J. Trump

George Islay MacNeill Robertson

2003

George W. Bush

Frank Robinson

2005

George W. Bush

Jackie Robinson

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Mary Robinson

2009

Barack H. Obama

David Rockefeller

1998

William J. Clinton

Laurance S. Rockefeller

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Nelson A. Rockefellera

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Norman Rockwella

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Fred Rogers

2002

George W. Bush

William P. Rogers

1973

Richard M. Nixon

Teresa Romero

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

George W. Romney

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Carlos Pena Romulo

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

A. M. Rosenthal

2002

George W. Bush

Diana Ross

2016

Barack H. Obama

Walt Rostowa

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Mstislav Rostropovich

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

James W. Rouse

1995

William J. Clinton

Janet D. Rowley

2009

Barack H. Obama

Edward Roybal

2014

Barack H. Obama

Vermont Connecticut Royster

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

David M. Rubenstein

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Arthur Rubinsteina

1976

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

William Doyle Ruckelshaus

2015

Barack H. Obama

Donald Henry Rumsfelda

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Paul Rusesabagina

2005

George W. Bush

Dean Ruska

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Bill Russell

2011

Barack H. Obama

Bayard Rustin

2013

Barack H. Obama

Babe Ruth

2018

Donald J. Trump

Jim Ryun

2020

Donald J. Trump

Albert Bruce Sabin

1986

Ronald W. Reagan

Anwar Sadat

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

William L. Safire

2006

George W. Bush

Ginetta Sagan

1996

William J. Clinton

Jonas Edward Salk

1977

James E. Carter Jr.

Carl Sandburg

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Arturo Sandoval

2013

Barack H. Obama

Antonin Scalia

2018

Donald J. Trump

Harry W. Schlaudeman

1992

George H. W. Bush

H. Norman Schwarzkopf

1991

George H. W. Bush

Michael Henry Schwerner

2014

Barack H. Obama

Brent Scowcroft

1991

George H. W. Bush

Vin Scully

2016

Barack H. Obama

Rudolf Serkin

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Donna Shalala

2008

George W. Bush

John Shalikashvili

1997

William J. Clinton

Albert Shanker

1998

William J. Clinton

Natan Sharansky

2006

George W. Bush

Judy Shepard

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Catherine Filene Shousea

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

1984

Ronald W. Reagan

Sargent Shriver

1994

William J. Clinton

George P. Shultz

1989

Ronald W. Reagan

Charlie Sifford

2014

Barack H. Obama

Laurence H. Silberman

2008

George W. Bush

Beverly Sills

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Alan Simpson

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Frank Sinatra

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

2007

George W. Bush

Dean Smith

2013

Barack H. Obama

Gerald Coad Smith

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Jean Kennedy Smith

2011

Barack H. Obama

Kate Smith

1982

Ronald W. Reagan

Margaret Chase Smith

1989

George H. W. Bush

Merriman Smith

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Robert M. Solow

2014

Barack H. Obama

Stephen Sondheim

2015

Barack H. Obama

Annika Sorenstam

2021

Donald J. Trump

George Soros

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Steven Spielberg

2015

Barack H. Obama

Bruce Springsteen

2016

Barack H. Obama

Adela Rogers St. Johns

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Roger Thomas Staubach

2018

Donald J. Trump

Edward Steichen

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

John Steinbeck

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gloria Steinem

2013

Barack H. Obama

Isaac Stern

1992

George H. W. Bush

George Stevens Jr.

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

John Paul Stevens

2012

Barack H. Obama

Roger L. Stevens

1988

Ronald W. Reagan

Jimmy Stewart

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Jens Stoltenberg

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Robert Schwarz Strauss

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Meryl Streep

2014

Barack H. Obama

Barbra Streisand

2015

Barack H. Obama

Leon Sullivan

1991

George H. W. Bush

Pat Summitt

2012

Barack H. Obama

Aung San Suu Kyi

2000

William J. Clinton

John J. Sweeney

2011

Barack H. Obama

Jack Swigert

1970

Richard M. Nixon

Helen Taussig

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

Gardner C. Taylor

2000

William J. Clinton

George William Taylor

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

James Taylor

2015

Barack H. Obama

Edward Teller

2003

George W. Bush

George Tenet

2004

George W. Bush

Mother Teresa

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Margaret Thatcher

1991

George H. W. Bush

Dave Thomas

2003

George W. Bush

Lowell Jackson Thomasa

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Marlo Thomas

2014

Barack H. Obama

Charles Bates Thornton

1981

Ronald W. Reagan

Jim Thorpe

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Strom Thurmond

1993

George H. W. Bush

Russell Eroll Train

1991

George H. W. Bush

Richard Trumka

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Elbert P. Tuttle

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Desmond Tutu

2009

Barack H. Obama

Cicely Tyson

2016

Barack H. Obama

Mo Udall

1996

William J. Clinton

Alvaro Uribe

2009

George W. Bush

Cyrus Vancea

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

John Paul Vann

1972

Richard M. Nixon

Wilma L. Vaught

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

William C. Velasquez

1995

William J. Clinton

John William Vessey

1992

George H. W. Bush

Carl Vinsona

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

C. T. Vivian

2013

Barack H. Obama

Patricia M. Wald

2013

Barack H. Obama

Lech Walesa

1989

George H. W. Bush

DeWitt Wallace

1972

Richard M. Nixon

Lila Bell Acheson Wallace

1972

Richard M. Nixon

William Bertalan Walsh

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Vernon Anthony Walters

1991

George H. W. Bush

Sam Walton

1992

George H. W. Bush

Earl Warren

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Robert Penn Warren

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Denzel Washington

2022b

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Lew R. Wasserman

1995

William J. Clinton

Alan T. Waterman

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Thomas J. Watson Jr.

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

James Watsona

1977

Gerald R. Ford Jr.

Mark S. Watson

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Annie Dodge Wauneka

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Edgar Wayburn

1999

William J. Clinton

John Wayne

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

James Edwin Webb

1968

Lyndon B. Johnson

William Hedgcock Webster

1991

George H. W. Bush

Albert Coady Wedemeyer

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Caspar Willard Weinbergera

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Eudora Welty

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Jerry West

2019

Donald J. Trump

Byron R. White

2003

George W. Bush

E. B. White

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Paul Dudley White

1964

Lyndon B. Johnson

William Smith White

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Elie Wiesel

1992

George H. W. Bush

Simon Wiesenthal

2000

William J. Clinton

Thornton Niven Wilder

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Roy Wilkins

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Ted Williams

1991

George H. W. Bush

Tennessee Williams

1980

James E. Carter Jr.

Meredith Willson

1987

Ronald W. Reagan

Edmund Wilson

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

James Q. Wilson

2003

George W. Bush

Oprah Winfrey

2013

Barack H. Obama

Anna Wintour

2025

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

John Minor Wisdom

1993

William J. Clinton

Albert J. Wohlstetter

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Roberta Wohlstetter

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Stevie Wonder

2014

Barack H. Obama

John Wooden

2003

George W. Bush

Tiger Woods

2019

Donald J. Trump

Walter Wriston

2004

George W. Bush

Andrew Wyeth

1963

Lyndon B. Johnson

Minoru Yasui

2015

Barack H. Obama

Chuck Yeager

1985

Ronald W. Reagan

Michelle Yeoh

2024

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Whitney M. Young Jr.

1969

Lyndon B. Johnson

Andrew Young

1981

James E. Carter Jr.

Muhammad Yunus

2009

Barack H. Obama

Raul Yzaguirre

2022

Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Mildred Didrikson Zaharias

2021

Donald J. Trump

Elmo R. Zumwalt

1998

William J. Clinton

Sources: Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents; Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States; Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents; Associated Press, "Bush Honors Webster," July 25, 1991; Christopher Connell, "Bush Gives Thurmond An Award," Associated Press, January 12, 1993; White House, "President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom," press release, January 4, 2025, https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/04/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom-3; White House, "President Biden Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to His Holiness Pope Francis," press release, January 11, 2025, https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/11/president-biden-awards-presidential-medal-of-freedom-with-distinction-to-his-holiness-pope-francis; "President Trump Hosts Medal of Freedom Ceremony for Charlie Kirk," C-SPAN, October 14, 2025, https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-hosts-medal-of-freedom-ceremony-for-charlie-kirk/667148.

a. Medals known to be awarded "with distinction."

b. Announced in July 2022, presented in January 2025.

Related CRS Products

CRS Report R47020, A Guide to Major Congressional and Presidential Awards, by Barbara Salazar Torreon and Ben Leubsdorf.

CRS Report R43539, Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events, coordinated by Jacob R. Straus.

CRS Report R45101, Congressional Gold Medals: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress, by Jacob R. Straus.

CRS Report 95-519, Medal of Honor: History and Issues, by Barbara Salazar Torreon.

Footnotes

1.

Executive Order 9586, "The Medal of Freedom," 10 Federal Register 8523, July 6, 1945.

2.

Executive Order 10336, "Amendment of Executive Order No. 9586 of July 6, 1945, Establishing the Medal of Freedom," 17 Federal Register 2957, April 3, 1952.

3.

Bruce Wetterau, The Presidential Medal of Freedom: Winners and Their Achievements (Washington: Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1996), p. 9.

4.

"Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union" (January 6, 1955) in U.S. National Archives and Records Service, Office of the Federal Register, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1955, pp. 7-30.

5.

Congressional Record, vol. 102, part 9 (July 2, 1956), p. 11609.

6.

Congressional Record, vol. 104, part 11 (July 23, 1958), p. 14794.

7.

Congressional Record, vol. 102, part 9 (July 3, 1956), p. 11678 and vol. 104, part 11 (July 24, 1958), p. 14895.

8.

Executive Order 11085, "The Presidential Medal of Freedom," 28 Federal Register 1759, February 22, 1963. Also, in the United States Code at 5 U.S.C. §4504 note.

9.

"Statement by the President Upon Issuing Order Relating to the Medal of Freedom" (February 22, 1963) in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1963, pp. 209-210.

10.

Ibid., p. 210 (in note).

11.

"Remarks With Under Secretary of State George W. Ball at the Presentation of the Medal of Freedom Awards" (December 6, 1963) in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963-1964, Book I, pp. 29-34.

12.

Jenifer V. Buckman, "H.D. Temple, Military Author, Designer, Dies; Heraldry Expert Did Redesign of Medal, Chronicled History," Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 27, 2004, p. B7; Wetterau, Presidential Medal of Freedom, p. 15.

13.

"Symbolism of the Design of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction and the Presidential Medal of Freedom," n.d., series 8, box 102, folder 6, no. 21, President's Office Files, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, at https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKPOF/102/JFKPOF-102-006.

14.

"Remarks With Under Secretary of State George W. Ball at the Presentation of the Medal of Freedom Awards," p. 30.

15.

"Presidential Medal of Freedom" in The Presidency A to Z, 5th ed., eds. Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley (Thousand Oaks, CA: CQ Press, 2013), pp. 451-452.

16.

Lawrence M. Watson, The Presidential Medal of Freedom (Claymont, DE: Orders and Medals Society of America, 2014), p. 39.

17.

Mary Mel French, United States Protocol: The Guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010), pp. 271, 275; Department of the Army, Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, Pamphlet 670-1, January 26, 2021, p. 260, at https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30948-PAM_670-1-000-WEB-1.pdf#page=277; and Article 5307 in Navy Personnel Command, United States Navy Uniform Regulations, NAVPERS 15665J, at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/References/US-Navy-Uniforms/Uniform-Regulations/Chapter-5/5301-Awards/#5307.

18.

Juliet Eilperin, "One of the Last Washington Mysteries: How to Get the Medal of Freedom," The Washington Post, November 23, 2015, at https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/one-of-the-last-washington-mysteries-how-to-get-the-medal-of-freedom/2015/11/23/d3351fa2-91f3-11e5-b5e4-279b4501e8a6_story.html.

19.

Executive Order 11515, "Terminating Certain Bodies Established by the President," 35 Federal Register 4543, March 13, 1970. This executive order eliminated a nomination process through the now-defunct Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board that had been created in President Kennedy's 1963 executive order.

20.

For example, see videos available online from the 1981 ceremony (at https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/video/medal-freedom-ceremony-president-reagan-gives-remarks-and-presents-awards-east-room) and the 2022 ceremony (at https://www.c-span.org/video/?521521-1/presidential-medal-freedom-ceremony).

21.

For example, see Rep. Lee H. Hamilton, "Nominating Dante B. Fascell for the Presidential Medal of Freedom," extension of remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 144 (October 21, 1998), p. E2287; Sen. Roger Wicker, "Miss. Delegation Requests Presidential Medal of Freedom for Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers," press release, November 4, 2016, at https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2016/11/miss-delegation-requests-presidential-medal-of-freedom-for-civil-rights-leader-medgar-evers; and Rep. Joaquin Castro, "Congressman Castro Recommends Veteran Advocates Le Roy and Rosie Torres for the Presidential Medal of Freedom," press release, January 31, 2023, at https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-castro-recommends-veteran-advocates-le-roy-and-rosie-torres-for-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom.

22.

For example, see Sen. Max Cleland, "Senate Resolution 23—Expressing the Sense of the Senate That the President Should Award the Presidential Medal of Freedom Posthumously to Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays in Honor of His Distinguished Career as An Educator, Civil and Human Rights Leader, and Public Theologian," remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 147 (February 14, 2001), pp. S1434-S1435; "Expressing the Sense of Congress That the President Posthumously Award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harry W. Colmery," House debate, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 150 (July 6, 2004), pp. H5162-H5165; Rep. Barbara Comstock, "In Honor of Bonnie Carroll, Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Her Commitment to Healing Families of Fallen Members of the Armed Services," extension of remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 161 (December 1, 2015), p. E1684; and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, "Recognizing Dr. Eduardo J. Padron on Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162 (December 7, 2016), p. H7285.

23.

For example, see S.Res. 23 (107th Cong.) for Benjamin Elijah Mays, H.Con.Res. 313 (108th Cong.) for Pope John Paul II, S.Con.Res. 91 (109th Cong.) for Satchel Paige, H.Res. 926 (114th Cong.) for Henrietta Lacks, and S.Con.Res. 20 (116th Cong.) for Harry W. Colmery.

24.

For example, see S.Res. 310 (107th Cong.) for Justin Dart Jr., H.Res. 708 (111th Cong.) for Nancy Brinker, H.Res. 1743 (111th Cong.) for Gerda Weissmann Klein, and S.Res. 61 (117th Cong.) for George P. Shultz.

25.

H.R. 4354 (114th Cong.) and H.R. 6810 (115th Cong.) expressed the sense of Congress that Bill Cosby's medal, awarded in 2002, should be revoked.

26.

Krishnadev Calamur, "Obama: 'No Precedent' To Revoke Bill Cosby's Presidential Medal Of Freedom," National Public Radio, July 15, 2015, at https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/07/15/423258004/obama-no-precedent-to-revoke-bill-cosby-s-presidential-medal-of-honor.

27.

To compile this list, CRS searched Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States volumes for 1963 to 2016, and the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents for 2017 to the present, for mentions of the medal. Additional recipients were identified using the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, contemporaneous news reports, and White House press releases. In compiling this list, CRS attempted to be thorough; however, the list of medals in this report may not be comprehensive.

28.

While awarding the medal to the Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team, President Richard M. Nixon mentioned five individuals: Sig Sjoberg, Glynn Lunney, Milt Windler, Gerald Griffin, and Gene Krantz. See "Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Apollo 13 Mission Operations Team in Houston" (April 18, 1970) in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard M. Nixon, 1970, pp. 366-369.

29.

Kyle C. Kopko et al., "The Politics of the Presidential Medal of Freedom: A Fifty-Year Analysis, 1963-2013," New England Journal of Political Science, vol. 8, no. 2 (Fall 2015), pp. 156-184. See Table 4, pp. 174-175.

30.

Names are generally presented as they appear in biographical reference sources. For names that varied from source to source, CRS typically selected the most common option. For example, Babe Ruth (posthumously recognized in 2018) appears under that name in the Almanac of Famous People, American Decades, Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, and St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, though he is "George Herman Ruth" in the Dictionary of American Biography and Merriam Webster's Biographical Dictionary, and "George Herman Ruth Jr." in the Encyclopedia of World Biography Online.

31.

Information about whether the Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded "with distinction" comes from Glenn P. Hogan, The Presidential Medal of Freedom (Ann Arbor, MI: Glenn P. Hogan, 1996), pp. 155-156; Candace Elizabeth Todd, "Designating Heroes: Theory and Analysis of Presidential Epideictic Awards" (PhD diss., University of Iowa, 1998), pp. 189-203; Wetterau, Presidential Medal of Freedom; and contemporaneous presidential remarks and announcements. The 56 instances of "with distinction" noted in this report may not be comprehensive.

32.

As in Tables 2-12, information about whether the Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded "with distinction" comes from Hogan, Presidential Medal of Freedom, pp. 155-156; Todd, "Designating Heroes," pp. 189-203; Wetterau, Presidential Medal of Freedom; and contemporaneous presidential remarks and announcements. The 56 instances of "with distinction" noted in this report may not be comprehensive.