Presidential Medal of Freedom

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Seagram Heir, Jewish Congress Prez Bronfman Dead at 84

Won Medal of Freedom for work with World Jewish Congress

(Newser) - Edgar M. Bronfman Sr., the billionaire businessman and longtime president of the World Jewish Congress, which lobbied the Soviets to allow Jews to emigrate and helped spearhead the search for hidden Nazi loot, died yesterday. He was 84. The Canadian-born Bronfman made his fortune with his family's Seagram's...

See This Year's Medal of Freedom Winners

Bill Clinton, Oprah, Gloria Steinem among recipients

(Newser) - President Obama today recognized 16 Americans with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an award whose modern version was created by John F. Kennedy. Among the honorees were Bill Clinton, Oprah, and Gloria Steinem. In addition to those pictured, astronaut Sally Ride, former Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, and civil rights leader...

And the Medals of Freedom Go to...

Oprah, Clinton, Steinem among this year's recipients

(Newser) - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the executive order, signed by President Kennedy, establishing the highest US civilian honor. "The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours," President Obama said. "This year's honorees have...

Bob Dylan Gets Medal of Freedom

Madeleine Albright, John Glenn also among honorees

(Newser) - President Obama bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Bob Dylan, Madeleine Albright, and a host of other luminaries today at the White House. The Los Angeles Times notes that 1962 seemed to be a pivotal year for this year's honorees: It's when Dylan's first album came...

Bob Dylan to Get Presidential Medal of Freedom

Pat Summitt, Toni Morrison also among this year's honorees

(Newser) - Bob Dylan will get the nation's highest civilian honor later this spring, reports Bloomberg . Dylan, 70, will be one of 13 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He's already got scores of Grammys, an Oscar, and a Pulitzer, and the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog can'...

Senators Yank Paterno Medal of Freedom Request

Toomey, Casey made it only 2 months ago

(Newser) - Ouch. In a measure of how far Joe Paterno's stock has fallen, Pennsylvania's two senators today withdrew their nomination of him to get a Presidential Medal of Freedom, reports the Penn State Daily Collegian . Pat Toomey and Bob Casey made the original request in a letter to President...

Obama Gives Retiring Gates Medal of Freedom

Today is outgoing defense secretary's last day

(Newser) - President Obama today honored outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates' four decades of service, including the past 4 1/2 years in charge of the Pentagon, by surprising him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US honor a president can give a civilian. "I can think of no better...

Buffett, Bush, Merkel Among Medal of Freedom Honorees

President Obama will give medals to 15 more recipients

(Newser) - President Obama will give the Medal of Freedom to 15 more honorees early next year, including George HW Bush and Warren Buffett. The list of recipients, released today, runs the gamut from sports greats (baseball legend Stan Musial and basketball great Bill Russell) to civil rights pioneers (Sylvia Mendez, who...

Medals of Freedom Will Go to Milk, Kennedy, Poitier

(Newser) - This year's Medal of Freedom recipients share a capacity to change the world, President Obama said today in naming the eclectic group. Among the 16 honorees are Sen. Ted Kennedy, slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk, actor Sidney Poitier, tennis great Billie Jean King, and retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day...

Tony Blair Tapped for US Medal of Freedom

Former prime minister was staunch US ally

(Newser) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a staunch ally of President Bush on the war in Iraq, is to receive the highest US civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Blair, who is now an Middle East peace envoy for the Quartet—Russia, the US, the EU and UN—will...

Harper Lee Awarded Medal of Freedom

Civil rights pioneer Hooks also receives highest civilian honor

(Newser) - Author Harper Lee and NAACP pioneer Benjamin Hooks yesterday received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, for their work for racial equality. Lee, 81, wrote the 1960 Pulitzer-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird, which challenged racism and was made into a powerful movie featuring Gregory Peck. The...

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