President Obama Honors 2013 Medal of Freedom Recipients

President Obama Honors 2013 Medal of Freedom
Recipients
November 20, 2013 at 05:36 PM EST
President Barack Obama delivers remarks and awards the
2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom to honorees during a
ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Nov. 20,
2013. Honorees are: Ernie Banks, Ben Bradlee, former
President Bill Clinton, Daniel Inouye (posthumous), Daniel
Kahneman, Richard Lugar, Loretta Lynn, Mario Molina,
Sally Ride (posthumous), Bayard Rustin (posthumous),
Arturo Sandoval, Dean Smith, Gloria Steinem, Cordy Tindell
"C.T." Vivian, Patricia Wald, and Oprah Winfrey.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established 50 years
ago by President John F. Kennedy, is our nation’s highest
civilian honor. The medal has been presented to more than
500 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.”
Today, in a ceremony at the White House , President Obama
added 16 names to that distinguished list.
Recipients of the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom
included sports champions and scientists, musicians and
civil rights leaders, activists and journalists, media moguls
and public servants.
President Barack Obama awards the 2013 Presidential
Medal of Freedom to Oprah Winfrey during a ceremony in
the East Room of the White House, Nov. 20, 2013.
“These are the men and women who in their extraordinary
lives remind us all of the beauty of the human spirit, the
values that define us as Americans, the potential that lives
inside of all of us,” President Obama said.
President Barack Obama delivers awards the 2013
Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cordy Tindell “C.T.”
Vivian, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White
House, Nov. 20, 2013.
Watch video of the ceremony here or read more about each
of the 2013 recipients below.
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.