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". [1] Before 1970, honorees were either selected by the president or recommended to them by the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board. [2]
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. [3]
President Barack Obama awarded 118 medals, the most of any president, followed by President Bill Clinton with 89 medal recipients. [4] 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, [5] 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:
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. [6] After being awarded the medal, Cosby was convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault, though the convictions were later overturned. [7]
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. [8]
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. [9]
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. [10]
The Presidential Medal of Freedom (with Distinction) As of 2025 [update] , 28 individuals (Ellsworth Bunker twice, which is a total of 29 WDs) have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (with Distinction): [11]
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John F. Kennedy selected 31 recipients to be awarded in 1963. After his assassination they were officially awarded by Lyndon B. Johnson.
Lyndon B. Johnson awarded 58 medals between 1963 and 1969, excluding 31 which were selected by John F. Kennedy.
Richard Nixon awarded 28 medals between 1969 and 1974.
Gerald Ford awarded 28 medals between 1974 and 1977.
Jimmy Carter awarded 34 medals between 1977 and 1981.
Ronald Reagan awarded 86 medals between 1981 and 1989.
George H. W. Bush awarded 38 medals between 1989 and 1993.
Bill Clinton awarded 89 medals between 1993 and 2001.
George W. Bush awarded 82 medals between 2001 and 2009.
Barack Obama awarded 118 medals between 2009 and 2017.
During his first term, Donald Trump awarded 24 medals between 2017 and 2021.
Recipient | Year | Notes | Notable as | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Miriam Adelson | 2018 | Physician and philanthropist | [79] | |
Orrin Hatch | United States Senator from Utah | [79] | ||
Alan Page | Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and football player | [79] | ||
Elvis Presley | † | Singer and actor known as the "King of Rock and Roll" | [79] | |
Babe Ruth | † | Professional baseball player | [79] | |
Antonin Scalia | † | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | [79] | |
Roger Staubach | Professional football player | [79] | ||
Bob Cousy | 2019 | Professional basketball player | [80] | |
Arthur Laffer | Economist, best known for the Laffer curve | [81] | ||
Edwin Meese | 75th United States Attorney General | [82] | ||
Roger Penske | Professional auto racing team owner, driver, and businessman | [83] | ||
Mariano Rivera | Professional baseball player | [84] | ||
Jerry West | Basketball executive and Olympic professional basketball player | [85] | ||
Tiger Woods | Professional golfer | [86] | ||
Dan Gable | 2020 | Olympic wrestler | [87] | |
Lou Holtz | University football coach | [88] | ||
Jack Keane | Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army | [89] | ||
Rush Limbaugh | [b] | Political commentator | [91] | |
Jim Ryun | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Olympic athlete | [92] | ||
Babe Didrikson Zaharias | 2021 | † | Olympic athlete | [93] |
Devin Nunes | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | [94] | ||
Jim Jordan | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio | [95] | ||
Gary Player | Professional golfer | [93] | ||
Annika Sörenstam | Professional golfer | [93] |
Joe Biden awarded 57 medals between 2022 and 2025.
During his second term, Donald Trump has announced that he will award three medals; though this number is likely to change.
Recipient | Year | Notes | Notable as | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rudy Giuliani | 2025 | Announced, not yet awarded. | Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, 107th Mayor of New York City, former legal representative of Donald Trump | [104] |
Charlie Kirk | Announced posthumously after Kirk's assassination † | American conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA | [105] | |
Ben Carson | Announced, not yet awarded. | Accomplished neurosurgeon, author, 17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. | [106] |
Marian Anderson (1897–1993)...Presidential Medal of Freedom received December 6, 1963
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Annie Wauneka (1910–1997)...Presidential Medal of Freedom received December 6, 1963
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Lady Bird Johnson (1912–2007)...Presidential Medal of Freedom received January 10, 1977
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986)...Presidential Medal of Freedom received January 10, 1977
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Dr. Margaret Mead (1901–1978)...Presidential Medal of Freedom received January 19, 1979
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Betty Ford (1918 – )...Presidential Medal of Freedom received November 18, 1991
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Chief,Wilma Mankiller (1945–2010)...Presidential Medal of Freedom received January 15, 1998
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Marian Wright Edelman (1939 – )...Presidential Medal of Freedom received August 9, 2000
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (1930 – )...Presidential Medal of Freedom received August 12, 2009
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