2013 Marks 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s
Establishment of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama
named sixteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of
Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the
Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to
individuals who have made especially meritorious
contributions to the security or national interests of
the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or
other significant public or private endeavors. The
awards will be presented at the White House later
this year.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the
Executive Order signed by President John F. Kennedy
establishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as
well as the first ceremony bestowing the honor on an
inaugural class of 31 recipients. Since that time,
more than 500 exceptional individuals from all
corners of society have been awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
President Obama said, “The Presidential Medal of
Freedom goes to men and women who have
dedicated their own lives to enriching ours. This
year's honorees have been blessed with
extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is
their gift for sharing that talent with the world. It will
be my honor to present them with a token of our
nation's gratitude."
The following individuals will be awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom:

Ernie Banks
Known to many as “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks is one of
the greatest baseball players of all time. During his
19 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, he played in 11
All-Star Games, hit over 500 home runs, and became
the first National League player to win Most Valuable
Player honors in back-to-back years. He was elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of
eligibility.

Ben Bradlee
Ben Bradlee is one of the most respected newsmen
of his generation. During his tenure as executive
editor of The Washington Post, Mr. Bradlee oversaw
coverage of the Watergate scandal, successfully
challenged the Federal Government over the right to
publish the Pentagon Papers, and guided the
newspaper through some of its most challenging
moments. He also served in the Navy during World
War II.

Bill Clinton
President Clinton was the 42nd President of the
United States. Before taking office, he served as
Governor and Attorney General of the State of
Arkansas. Following his second term, President
Clinton established the Clinton Foundation to
improve global health, strengthen economies,
promote health and wellness, and protect the
environment. He also formed the Clinton-Bush Haiti
Fund with President George W. Bush in 2010.

Daniel Inouye (posthumous)
Daniel Inouye was a lifelong public servant. As a
young man, he fought in World War II with the
442nd Regimental Combat Team, for which he
received the Medal of Honor. He was later elected to
the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives, the
United States House of Representatives, and the
United States Senate. Senator Inouye was the first
Japanese American to serve in Congress,
representing the people of Hawaii from the moment
they joined the Union.

Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman is a pioneering scholar of
psychology. After escaping Nazi occupation in World
War II, Dr. Kahneman immigrated to Israel, where he
served in the Israel Defense Forces and trained as a
psychologist. Alongside Amos Tversky, he applied
cognitive psychology to economic analysis, laying
the foundation for a new field of research and
earning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002. He is
currently a professor at Princeton University.

Richard Lugar
Richard Lugar represented Indiana in the United
States Senate for more than 30 years. An
internationally respected statesman, he is best
known for his bipartisan leadership and decades-
long commitment to reducing the threat of nuclear
weapons. Prior to serving in Congress, Senator
Lugar was a Rhodes Scholar and Mayor of
Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975. He currently serves
as President of the Lugar Center.

Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is a country music legend. Raised in
rural Kentucky, she emerged as one of the first
successful female country music vocalists in the
early 1960s, courageously breaking barriers in an
industry long dominated by men. Ms. Lynn’s
numerous accolades include the Kennedy Center
Honors in 2003 and the Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2010.

Mario Molina
Mario Molina is a visionary chemist and
environmental scientist. Born in Mexico, Dr. Molina
came to America to pursue his graduate degree. He
later earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for
discovering how chlorofluorocarbons deplete the
ozone layer. Dr. Molina is a professor at the
University of California, San Diego; Director of the
Mario Molina Center for Energy and Environment;
and a member of the President’s Council of Advisors
on Science and Technology.

Sally Ride (posthumous)
Sally Ride was the first American female astronaut
to travel to space. As a role model to generations of
young women, she advocated passionately for
science education, stood up for racial and gender
equality in the classroom, and taught students from
every background that there are no limits to what
they can accomplish. Dr. Ride also served in several
administrations as an advisor on space exploration.

Bayard Rustin (posthumous)
Bayard Rustin was an unyielding activist for civil
rights, dignity, and equality for all. An advisor to the
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he promoted
nonviolent resistance, participated in one of the first
Freedom Rides, organized the 1963 March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and fought
tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and
abroad. As an openly gay African American, Mr.
Rustin stood at the intersection of several of the
fights for equal rights.

Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a celebrated jazz trumpeter,
pianist, and composer. Born outside Havana, he
became a protégé of jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie and
gained international acclaim as a dynamic
performer. He defected to the United States in 1990
and later became an American citizen. He has been
awarded nine Grammy Awards and is widely
considered one of the greatest living jazz artists.

Dean Smith
Dean Smith was head coach of the University of
North Carolina basketball team from 1961 to 1997.
In those 36 years, he earned 2 national
championships, was named National Coach of the
Year multiple times, and retired as the winningest
men’s college basketball coach in history. Ninety-six
percent of his players graduated from college. Mr.
Smith has also remained a dedicated civil rights
advocate throughout his career.

Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem is a renowned writer and activist for
women’s equality. She was a leader in the women’s
liberation movement, co-founded Ms. magazine, and
helped launch a wide variety of groups and
publications dedicated to advancing civil rights. Ms.
Steinem has received dozens of awards over the
course of her career, and remains an active voice for
women’s rights.

Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian
C.T. Vivian is a distinguished minister, author, and
organizer. A leader in the Civil Rights Movement
and friend to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., he participated in Freedom Rides and sit-ins
across our country. Dr. Vivian also helped found
numerous civil rights organizations, including Vision,
the National Anti-Klan Network, and the Center for
Democratic Renewal. In 2012, he returned to serve
as interim President of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference.

Patricia Wald
Patricia Wald is one of the most respected appellate
judges of her generation. After graduating as 1 of
only 11 women in her Yale University Law School
class, she became the first woman appointed to the
United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia, and served as Chief Judge from
1986-1991. She later served on the International
Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Ms. Wald currently
serves on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight
Board.

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is one of the world’s most successful
broadcast journalists. She is best known for creating
The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became the highest
rated talk show in America for 25 years. Ms. Winfrey
has long been active in philanthropic causes and
expanding opportunities for young women. She has
received numerous awards throughout her career,
including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002
and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.