President Donald Trump will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to seven recipients at a ceremony on Nov. 16.
It’s the first time President Trump has presented the award, which is comparable to the Congressional Gold Medal.
Recipients include George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr., Elvis Presley, Senator Orrin Hatch, philanthropist Miriam Adelson, Justice Alan Page, Hall-of-Fame quarterback Roger Staubach, and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
“Babe” Ruth is remembered for his unmatched legacy as a baseball player in four teams during the years 1914 to 1935. He had the highest ever slugging average of .690, with 714 home runs, 2,873 hits, 2,174 runs, and 2,062 walks.
Ruth also started The Babe Ruth Foundation for underprivileged children and raised money for the war effort before passing away in 1948.
“His legacy has never been eclipsed, and he remains the personification of ‘America’s Pastime,’” states the press release.
Elvis Presley, “an enduring American icon,” served nearly two years in the U.S. Army, aside from his award-winning musical career that combined gospel, country, rhythm, and blues.
Presley won 3 Grammy Awards out of 14 nominations for his gospel music and sold more than a billion records. He died in 1977.
Senator Orrin Hatch is one of the longest-serving senators in U.S. history. He’s currently chairman of the Finance Committee and the Senate’s President pro tempore.
The senator, who has represented Utah for more than 41 years, has sponsored more bills throughout his career that became law than any other living member of Congress.
“He has led the way in confirming qualified judges throughout the Federal judiciary in order to protect our constitutional order, and has championed religious liberty, fought against communism, and stood on the side of freedom around the world,” according to the news release.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in 2016, “was one of the greatest Supreme Court justices in American history,” stated the White House.
Scalia is being honored for upholding America’s original founding principles and legal heritage. He once said the Constitution “means and will always mean what it meant when it was adopted.”
Justice Alan Page, a philanthropist, athlete, and accomplished jurist, served for more than 20 years on the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Page also played 15 years in the National Fooball League (NFL), won the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 1971, and was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He obtained his law degree while playing for the Vikings.
The judge also created the Page Education Foundation, which gave scholarships to nearly 7,000 students.
Quarterback Roger Staubach played football for the United States Naval Academy before playing 11 seasons in the NFL. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1963, won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, made Pro Bowl six times, set numerous records, and was also inducted in the Hall of Fame.
In addition, Staubach volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War and later became a businessman and participated in charities such as United Way of America, the Children’s Scholarship Fund, and Allies in Service.
Miriam Adelson is a doctor and philanthropist who established the Adelson Medical Research Foundation, supporting efforts “to prevent, reduce, or eliminate disabling and life-threatening illness.”
“As a committed member of the American Jewish community, she has supported Jewish schools, Holocaust memorial organizations, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and Birthright Israel, among other causes,” states the press release.
