This is a partial list of recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, listed chronologically within the aspect of life in which each recipient is or was renowned.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded by the president of the United States to “any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative." Before 1970, honorees were either selected by the president or recommended to them by the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board.
History
Typically the medal is bestowed upon the recipient by the sitting president who has chosen them. However, the first recipients selected by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination were formally awarded by his successor in office, Lyndon B. Johnson.
President Barack Obama awarded 118 medals, the most of any president, followed by President Bill Clinton with 89 medal recipients. Two people, Ellsworth Bunker and Colin Powell, are two-time recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Colin Powell received his second award with Distinction, while Ellsworth Bunker was given both of his awards with Distinction.
Eight Presidents have themselves received the medal either posthumously, post-presidency, or prior to being elected:
- John F. Kennedy (1963, posthumously)
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1980, posthumously)
- Ronald Reagan (1993, with Distinction)
- Gerald Ford (1999)
- Jimmy Carter (1999)
- George H. W. Bush (2011)
- Bill Clinton (2013)
- Joe Biden (2017, as Vice President; with Distinction)
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. After being awarded the medal, Cosby was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault, though the convictions were later overturned.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is related to, but distinct from, the Medal of Freedom, an earlier award issued between 1945 and 1963 to honor US civilian contributions to World War II.
In 2022 at the age of 25, athlete and activist Simone Biles became the youngest person to receive the award.
Declinations of the award
Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, was offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump, and initially accepted it, but changed his mind and turned down the medal after the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Country musician Dolly Parton turned down the medal twice from Donald Trump. Parton said she turned it down the first time because her husband was ill, and the second time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awarded with Distinction
List
- † – Awarded posthumously
- WD – Awarded "with Distinction"
Awarded by John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy selected 31 recipients to be awarded in 1963. After his assassination they were officially awarded by Lyndon B. Johnson.
Awarded by Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson awarded 58 medals between 1963 and 1969, excluding 31 which were selected by John F. Kennedy.
Awarded by Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon awarded 28 medals between 1969 and 1974.
Awarded by Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford awarded 28 medals between 1974 and 1977.
Awarded by Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter awarded 34 medals between 1977 and 1981.
Awarded by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan awarded 86 medals between 1981 and 1989.
Awarded by George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush awarded 38 medals between 1989 and 1993.
Awarded by Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton awarded 89 medals between 1993 and 2001.
Awarded by George W. Bush
George W. Bush awarded 82 medals between 2001 and 2009.
Awarded by Barack Obama
Barack Obama awarded 118 medals between 2009 and 2017.
Awarded by Donald Trump (first presidency)
Donald Trump awarded 24 medals between 2017 and 2021.
Awarded by Joe Biden
Joe Biden awarded 57 medals between 2022 and 2025.
Notes
Bibliography
- Wetterau, Bruce (1996). The Presidential Medal of Freedom: Winners and Their Achievements. Congressional Quarterly. p. 513. ISBN 978-1-56802-128-7. – contains a list of awardees from 1963 to approximately 1995
References
External links
- Medal of Freedom, Official site for the Medal of Freedom for the Obama administration
- Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1963–2002 (chronological by president, pp. 5–21, alphabetical pp. 24–4), Congressional Research Service via the Federation of American Scientists
- Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1993–2009, United States Senate
- Politicians Who Received the Medal of Freedom, The Political Graveyard
