President Obama just named 13 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our Nation,” Obama said. “They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place. I look forward to recognizing them with this award.”
The winners are:
- Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
- Civil rights lawyer and Watergate investigator John Doar
- Bob Dylan
- Smallpox eradicator William Foege
- Former astronaut and senator John Glenn
- Gordon Hirabayashi, who defied a forced relocation and internment effort during World War II
- UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta
- Polis underground office Jan Karski
- Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low
- Novelist Toni Morrison
- Israeli President Shimon Peres
- Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
- University of Tennessee basketball coach Pat Summitt
Obama announced Peres’ honor back at the AIPAC conference in early March. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn’t received a Medal of Freedom.
This does give a great excuse, though, to remember Madeleine Albright’s accomplishments…