President Barack Obama gave out the nation’s highest civilian award to notables including former President George H. W. Bush, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, poet Dr. Maya Angelou, and 12 others.
In all, 15 people received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award on Tuesday.
Recipients include prominent investor Warren Buffet, basketball great Bill Russel, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“These outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds and they’ve excelled in a broad range of fields,” said Obama.
The award is given to those who have made significant contributions to the national interests of the US, contributions to world peace, or provided significant cultural or public contributions, according to an official White House statement.
“But all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place. I look forward to awarding them this honor,” said the president.
In all, 15 people received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award on Tuesday.
Recipients include prominent investor Warren Buffet, basketball great Bill Russel, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“These outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds and they’ve excelled in a broad range of fields,” said Obama.
The award is given to those who have made significant contributions to the national interests of the US, contributions to world peace, or provided significant cultural or public contributions, according to an official White House statement.
“But all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place. I look forward to awarding them this honor,” said the president.
Others who will receive the award include artist Jasper Johns, Congressman John Lewis, Natural Resources Defense Council founder John H. Adams, baseball legend Stan Musial, Jewish Holocaust survivor and author Gerda Weissmann Klein, civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney, and nonprofit founder Jean Kennedy Smith.
A posthumous award will be given to humanitarian doctor Dr. Tom Little, who went to Afghanistan to provide vision care and optometry services. He was “brutally murdered” by Taliban militants last August, the White House press statement said.
A posthumous award will be given to humanitarian doctor Dr. Tom Little, who went to Afghanistan to provide vision care and optometry services. He was “brutally murdered” by Taliban militants last August, the White House press statement said.
