Medal of freedom1/5/2024 Ĭountry musician Dolly Parton turned down the medal twice. Declinations of the award īill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, turned down the medal after the 2021 United States Capitol attack. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is distinct from the Medal of Freedom, an antecedent award issued prior to 1963 to honor US civilian contributions to World War II.Īt the age of 25, athlete and activist Simone Biles is the youngest person to receive this award as of 2022. After being awarded the medal, Cosby was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault, though the convictions were later overturned. In 2015, President Barack Obama stated that there was no precedent to revoke a Presidential Medal of Freedom, regarding the award given to stand-up comedian and actor Bill Cosby. Joe Biden received the medal in 2017 when he was Vice president, and is the first president to receive the medal before their presidency. Bush was given the award in 2011, and Bill Clinton in 2013. Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were both given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. Ronald Reagan became the first living former president to get the award in 1993. Johnson was also posthumously awarded, in 1980. Kennedy was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963. Colin Powell received his second award with Distinction, while Ellsworth Bunker was given both of his awards with distinction.Įight Presidents have themselves received the medal at some point in their life. Two people, Ellsworth Bunker and Colin Powell, are two-time recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Barack Obama awarded 123 medals, the most ever, followed by President Ronald Reagan with 100 medal recipients. Kennedy before his assassination were formally awarded by his successor in office, Lyndon B. However, the first recipients selected by President John F. Hyde, author of the “Hyde Amendment” that banned public funding of abortion.Typically the medal is bestowed upon the recipient by the sitting president who has chosen them. Bush presented the award to people who played prominent roles in the Iraq War, as well as Henry J. Selections for the award often reflect a president’s own politics and ideals. Other posthumous awards have gone to Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk and Bayard Rustin. Giving a posthumous award can be a way to celebrate those who didn’t receive recognition during their lifetimes, as when Obama gave the award to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer programing. Most Presidential Medals of Freedom go to living people, but many don’t. Award Often Reflects President's Politics and Ideals Two people have received the award twice: diplomat Ellsworth Bunker received the award from both JFK and LBJ, and General Colin Powell received the award from George H.W. Barack Obama holds the record for awarding 115 Presidential Medals of Freedom during his two terms. The next president to top that was Ronald Reagan, who gave out 86. LBJ also posthumously awarded the award to JFK and Pope John XXIII.ĭuring the five years and two months LBJ was president, he gave out 57 of his own Presidential Medals of Freedom. However, JFK’s assassination in November meant that he was not alive to present the awards at the ceremony that December.
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