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1999 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients Ceremony
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1999 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients Ceremony
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (L) speaks with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Medal of Freedom awards ceremony at the White House August 12. Members of former administrations flocked to the event which honors Americans for outstanding service to their country.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the United States.
It was established by President Harry Truman in 1945 to honor service during WWII. President John F. Kennedy revived the medal and began the tradition of awarding the medal annually, on or near July 4. The award is awarded to several people annually. Unlike many other US awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom can be awarded to non-US citizens.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizes individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AND THE FIRST LADY
DURING MEDAL OF FREEDOM EVENT
The East Room
3:15 P.M. EDT
THE FIRST LADY: Please be seated, and welcome to the White House. The President and I are delighted to have you join us as we pay tribute to the men and women who have earned not only our nation's highest civilian honor, but the deepest gratitude of the American people.
But before we begin, I would like to express my deep sadness and outrage about yesterday's shootings in Los Angeles at the Jewish Community Center. I know that all of us here, and all Americans, join in offering our prayers for the children and other victims, their families and the entire community. Especially when children are the victims of gun violence, it shocks the conscience of our nation. And I hope our outrage will strengthen our resolve to address these scourges of gun violence and hate crimes in America today. There is no place for violence or intolerance in our country, and it is urgent that we address these issues now.
And we are gathered here to welcome the best of America to the East Room of the White House -- the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and their families. I'm also delighted that we have so many distinguished guests with us today. We have members of Congress, Senator Robb, Congressman Scott, Congressman Sisisky. And we have members of our Cabinet. I want to especially thank Secretary Albright, Secretary Summers, Secretary Daley and Herman, Secretary Shalala and Cuomo, Slater and Richardson, and Secretary and Mrs. West.
It is a great pleasure for all of us to join here in honoring so many who have contributed to the betterment of our nation and our world. We also have a number of friends of the recipients, including ambassadors and distinguished leaders -- I believe the Governor of Puerto Rico, former Secretary Bob Rubin, and many others who are here to join with us.
This is a ceremony that the President and I look forward to with great anticipation every year, because it is on this day that we particularly celebrate our nation's democratic ideals, and honor individuals who have helped keep those ideals alive through lifetimes of service and achievement.
A former recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom , Barbara Jordan, once said, "What the people want is very simple: They want an America as good as its promise." Today, especially, we are reminded of that promise and our common struggle to fulfill it. We are reminded that any individual can make a contribution to fulfilling our most precious dreams. Our gifts of freedom, our commitment to respect and celebrate our diversity, our capacity to offer hope and opportunity to those who might otherwise be left behind, and our determination to stand up to acts of violence and inhumanity wherever they exist.
The individuals we honor today have worked to make good on that promise. They have done so by restoring faith in times of change and peace in times of conflict, by defending human rights and civil liberties, by preserving the natural beauty of our land for our children and grandchildren. And they've helped fulfill America's promise by reaching out to the marginalized and the powerless, including our youngest citizens, and lifting them up to recognize their own gifts and abilities.
They have each, in their own way, helped widen the circle of human dignity, and helped make our world a little more secure, a little more attuned to injustice, than they found it. That is not only their gift to us and to our country, but to future generations.
It's now my pleasure to introduce someone who has fought tirelessly, also, to make the promise of America real -- not only for every citizen here at home, but for freedom-loving people around the world. And that is, of course, our President, Bill Clinton. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the White House. A special welcome to Senator Robb, Congressman Scott, Congressman Sisisky, Secretary-Senator Bentsen's old colleagues in the Cabinet, and Mr. Rubin, welcome home. Secretary Kissinger, thank you for coming. Governor Rossello, thank you for coming. Mrs. Ford, we're honored to have you here.
Let me just say, before I begin the ceremony, Hillary has already said that like all Americans, we have prayed for the welfare of the children and their families and the entire community affected by the shootings in Los Angeles yesterday. Most of you probably know by now that the FBI received the gunman, who turned himself in, earlier today. I want to congratulate the law enforcement officials at all levels of government who quickly responded to the crime, identified the suspect and kept the pressure on.
We are a long way of knowing all the facts about this case and, therefore, I think all of us have to be somewhat careful about commenting. But what we have heard about the suspect and his motives is deeply disturbing. Nothing could be further from the values we honor here today. Therefore, I would just say, again, I can only hope that this latest incident will intensify your resolve to make America a safer place and a place of healing across the lines that divide us.
President Kennedy once said that a nation reveals itself not only by the people it produces, but by the people it honors. Today, we honor men and women who represent the best of America with the Presidential Medal of Freedom . Our nation's founders believed, as do we, that freedom is a gift of God, not only to be defended, but to be used to improve the human condition, to deepen the reach of freedom, to widen the circle of opportunity, to strengthen the bonds of our national community.
By words and deeds, the Americans we honor today have done just that. And in honoring them, we honor also the values and principles of our nation's founding and our nation's future. Today, I am proud to begin with a man who once held the office I am now privileged to occupy, and one who has more than earned this honor.
From his earliest days as a student and athlete, President Gerald Ford was destined for leadership. He was an outstanding player on the Michigan football team in a segregated era. And his horror at the discrimination to which one of his teammates was subjected spawned in him a life-long commitment to equal rights for all people, regardless of race.
He served with distinction on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific in World War II. Thirty years later, as Republican leader of the House, and with the strong support of his colleagues in Congress in both parties, he was chosen to fill the vacancy in the Vice Presidency, which imposed on him subsequently the awesome responsibility of piloting our nation through the stormy seas of Watergate.
Steady, trustworthy, Gerald Ford ended a long, national nightmare. He also ended a long and bitter war. And he signed the Helsinki Treaty on Human Rights that sent a signal of hope to people throughout the world and hastened the fall of communism.
When he left the White House after 895 days, America was stronger, calmer and more self-confident. America was, in other words, more like President Ford, himself.
During 25 years in the House of Representatives, and as House Republican leader, he won respect from both sides of the aisle. It is not just his penchant for hard work, or his acknowledged mastery of everything from budgets to foreign policy to defense, but the way he conducted himself -- arguing his position forcefully on the House floor but, at the end of the debate, always reaching over to shake the hand of his opponents. Gerald Ford knew when to put politics aside and when to put the interests of our nation first.
The respect he commands has grown in the years since he left office -- whether advising Presidents in the Oval Office, or defending affirmative action, or making the case for free trade on the editorial pages of our leading newspapers. His opinions are still very much sought after. I am immensely grateful for the wise counsel he has given me over the years.
And I think I can speak for Hillary and for all Americans when I also express my appreciation and thanks to Betty Ford, a tremendous First Lady who has demonstrated dignity, strength and resolve, and inspired those qualities in millions of others in the way she has shared her life with us.
President Ford represents what is best in public service, and what is best about America. Colonel, please read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: A Texas farmhand by the age of six, a bomber pilot by 21, a Congressman by 27, an immensely successful businessman by 35, Lloyd Bentsen saw and did more in his youth than most see and do in an entire lifetime.
During his second 35 years, he managed another whole lifetime of achievement and service, as a distinguished United States Senator from Texas. He rose to become Chairman of the Finance Committee, where he demonstrated his lifetime concern for the interest of business and labor and the poor, and his conviction that America should advance all these together.
Then, at the tender age of 71, when he had every right to settle back and enjoy the comforts of retirement, Lloyd Bentsen answered my call to take on perhaps the toughest challenge of his public life: to become Secretary of the Treasury at a time of grave economic difficulty for our nation.
He accepted that challenge with characteristic gusto. He became one of the strongest voices in America and in our administration, for fiscal discipline and expanded international trade. He became an acknowledged world leader in financial and economic affairs. His work with Chairman Greenspan and Mr. Rubin and others on our economic team earned respect around the world. Under his leadership in 1993, when some of the rest of us had our doubts, we passed the economic plan that paved the way for what is now the longest peacetime expansion in our history.
For a lifetime of exceptional service to his country, I am proud to bestow the Medal of Freedom on Lloyd Bentsen.
Colonel, read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Edgar Bronfman once said that, in forcing the world to face up to an ugly past, we help shape a more honorable future. That fairly describes his own personal mission over these last 20 years. As chairman of Seagram's, he's helped to build on his father's legacy and take the company to new heights. As President of the World Jewish Congress, he's traveled the world to expose the legacy of oppression of the Jewish people and to spur action on their behalf.
Winning freedom for Soviet Jews in the 1980s; demanding justice from financial institutions on behalf of Holocaust survivors in the 1990s; and, in between, supporting philanthropies that work to break down barriers between nations and lift the lives of disadvantaged young people. A life of remarkable citizen service.
Colonel, read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Evy Dubrow came to Washington more than 40 years ago, ready to do battle for America's garment workers --and do battle she did. When it came to the well-being of workers and their families, this tiny woman was larger than life. The halls of Congress still echo with the sound of her voice, advocating a higher minimum wage, safer work places, better education for the children of working families. And in opposition, to President Ford and me, she also was against NAFTA. (Laughter and applause.)
No matter how divisive the issue, however, Evy always seemed to find a way to bring people together, to find a solution. As she put it, there are good people on both sides of each issue. And she had a knack for finding those people.
By the time she retired two years ago, at the age of 80, she had won a special chair in the House Chamber, a special spot at the poker table in the Filibuster Room -- (laughter) -- and a special place in the hearts of even the most hard-bitten politicians in Washington; even more important, for decades and decades, she won victory after victory for social justice.
Colonel, read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Sister Isolina Ferre. For more than 20 years, in a poverty-stricken barrio in Puerto Rico, Sister Isolina Ferre started passing out cameras to children. She told them to photograph whatever they saw. The point of the project, she later recalled, was not just to teach young people to take pictures, but to teach them to take pride in themselves. That is what Sister Isolina does best: teaching people to see the best in themselves and in their communities, and making sure they had the tools to make the most of the gifts God has given them.
Armed only with her faith, she taught warring gangs in New York, City to solve their differences without violence. In Puerto Rico, her network of community service centers, the Centros Isolina Ferre, have transformed ravaged neighborhoods by helping residents to advocate for themselves. Her passionate fight against poverty, violence and despair have earned her many awards and countless tributes from all around the world. Sister Isolina once said that a community grows only when it rediscovers itself. On behalf of the many communities you have helped to make that wonderful discovery, a grateful nation says thank youto you today.
Colonel, please read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: I wonder whether any of the assembled parents, family and friends in the audience at the law school graduation at Howard University in 1933 knew that they were watching history in the making.
Among the many talented people who graduated that day, two men stood side by side -- one the valedictorian, the other salutatorian. Separated in class rank by a mere point or two, they were united in their determination to hasten our nation to a day when equal opportunity was the birthright of every American.
One of these men was the late Thurgood Marshall. We're honored to have his wife here with us today. (Applause.) The other was the man it is our privilege to honor today, Oliver White Hill. Together, these two struck a fatal blow against the injustice embedded in our nation's law -- the disgraceful doctrine of separate but equal -- that kept Americans apart and held too many Americans back for far too long.
In the 45 years since the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education -- which both Thurgood Marshall and Oliver Hill were active in -- Oliver Hill has barely had time to catch his breath. Throughout his long and rich life, he has challenged the laws of our land and the conscience of our country. He has stood up for equal pay, better schools, fair housing -- for everything that is necessary to make America, truly, one, indivisible and equal.
The presence in this audience today of so many people who have devoted their lives to the cause of civil rights is ample evidence to the absolutely irreplaceable role he has played over these many decades. Our nation is in his debt.
Colonel, read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Max Kampelman was probably not the first young man to work his way through college who made ends meet by skipping meals. But surely he is one of the few people who ever served his country in World War II by agreeing to stop eating altogether. (Laughter.) He volunteered to participate in a military experiment on the effects of starvation, hoping to help doctors find new ways to treat returning POWs and concentration camp survivors, bespeaking a lifelong passion to alleviate the suffering of the victims of human rights abuses.
Forty years later, after a career spent advising public officials at the highest level, he would again help his country to fight oppression in Europe. As head of the United States delegation overseeing the Helsinki Act, his unflinching words kept human rights at the center of East-West relations. An uncommonly gifted negotiator, he won crucial arms control agreements.
Together, these efforts helped to set in motion the collapse of communism and the beginning of a new era of democracy. He has excelled -- as a diplomat, a philanthropist, a humanitarian. He has served both Republican and Democratic presidents well. In so doing, he has been a quintessential American citizen.
Colonel, read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: I wish we all had been there with Edgar Wayburn when he first laid eyes on the spectacular vistas of the land north of San Francisco -- for then we could have experienced the wilderness from his unique and wonderful perspective. As it is, millions of Americans and visitors from other lands have been able to experience our great American wilderness because of Edgar Wayburn.
From the broad shores of Point Reyes -- where we spent our second anniversary -- to the sharp peaks of the Alaska range, to the majestic heights of the California Redwoods, Edgar Wayburn has helped to preserve the most breathtaking examples of the American landscape. In fact, over the course of the more than half-century, both as President of the Sierra Club and as a private citizen, he has saved more of our wilderness than any other person alive. And, I might add, his wife, who is here with us today, has been his colleague every step of the way in that endeavor. Those who have been involved in these struggles with him credit his success to his persistence, and to his profound conviction as a physician and a conservationist that our physical health depends upon the health of our environment.
As we look toward a 21st century in which the world and the United States must combat new challenges to our environment, and especially the challenge of climate change, we will need Edgar Wayburn as a model and a guide. And we should be very grateful that we have him.
Colonel, read the citation.
(The citation is read.) (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: The ancient Greeks used to bestow various honors upon citizens who performed outstanding service --everything from laurel crowns, the equivalent of our Medal of Freedom , to a lifetime of free dinners at state expense. (Laughter.) I have not yet won bipartisan agreement in the Congress for that to be attached to the Medal of Freedom , but I can invite you to join us in the state dining room for a reception.
Ladies and gentlemen, if hearing these life stories doesn't make us all prouder to be Americans, I don't know what would. I thank these people, for the lives they have lived and the light they have shined.
Again, we welcome them and all of you to the White House, and ask you to join us in the state dining room.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 3:55 P.M. EDT
08/11/99
Clinton Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Eight Americans
Recipients include Gerald Ford, Lloyd Bentsen, Max Kampelman
Washington -- President Clinton awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian award -- to eight distinguished Americans in an August 11 ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
"Today we honor men and women who represent the best of America," Clinton said. "In honoring them, we honor also the values and principles of our Nation's founding and its future."
Receiving the award were: former U.S. President Gerald Ford; former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen; the President of the World Jewish Congress, Edgar M. Bronfman; International Ladies Garment Workers Union representative Evy Dubrow; founder and chief executive officer of four community service centers in Puerto Rico, Sister M. Isolina Ferre; civil rights lawyer Oliver White Hill; lawyer, negotiator and diplomat Max Kampelman; and five time president and a member of the board of directors of the Sierra Club, Edgar Wayburn.
Earlier in the week, Clinton awarded Presidential Medals of Freedom to both former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn at a ceremony at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who stood along with the President and the eight recipients on a podium in the East Room, opened the ceremony by saying that each award winner in his or her own way, has "widened the circle of human dignity," and helped make the world a little more secure, a little more attuned to human justice.
Then Clinton presented the Medal of Freedom one by one to each recipient, following the reading by a military official of a Presidential citation to each winner.
Ford, Clinton said, as 38th President of the United States ended the "long national nightmare," of Watergate. America was "stronger, calmer and more self confident" as a result of Ford's Presidency, Clinton said.
The citation reads:
"Gerald R. Ford assumed the Presidency and led America during a time of unprecedented challenge. Building on bonds of trust forged during 25 years of exemplary public service in the United States Congress, he guided our Nation toward reconciliation and a reestablished confidence in our government. A leader of character, courage, decency, and integrity, he earned the Nation's enduring respect and gratitude. America is forever indebted to Gerald R. Ford -- 38th President of the United States -- for his legacy of healing and restored hope."
Of Bentsen, Clinton said at 71 years of age he agreed to take the post of Secretary of the Treasury, and became "one of the strongest voices in America for fiscal discipline and expanded international trade." Under his leadership in 1993, we passed the economic plan that paved the way for what is now the longest peacetime expansion in our history, Clinton said.
The citation reads:
"A man of courage, wisdom, and civility, Lloyd Bentsen has set the highest standard for public service. As a young World War II combat pilot, he risked his life to defend freedom. In the House of Representatives and the Senate, he promoted fiscal responsibility and free trade while supporting the civil rights of minorities and women and protections for children and older Americans. As Secretary of the Treasury, he helped bring greater opportunity and unprecedented prosperity to our country. A friend to business and workers alike, Lloyd Bentsen has earned our deep appreciation for his extraordinary contributions to the well-being of our Nation."
Bronfman, Clinton said, has led a life of remarkable citizen service.
The citation reads:
"A powerful voice for human rights, Edgar Bronfman has advanced religious freedom and tolerance around the world. As President of the World Jewish Congress, he has fought persecution, helped preserve Jewish heritage, and struggled to secure justice for victims of the Holocaust. Through the Samuel Bronfman Foundation, he has improved the lives of countless individuals, with enduring contributions to educational, cultural, literary, scientific, and religious organizations. For his steadfast devotion to others, Edgar Bronfman has earned our Nation's deep gratitude."
Dubrow, Clinton said, is a "tiny woman, larger than life," who has always been able to bring people of opposing viewpoints together. When she retired two years ago, at the age of 80, "she had earned a special place in the hearts" of politicians, he said.
The citation reads:
"For more than five decades, Evy Dubrow has fought to improve the lives of America's working women and men. A tenacious and effective union activist, she has been a force for social justice and improved labor conditions by working for increases in the minimum wage, health care reform, family and medical leave, and pay equity for women. Renowned for her grace, candor, and integrity, she has earned the respect of opponents and allies alike. Our Nation salutes Evy Dubrow for her invaluable service to America's working families."
Sister Ferre, Clinton said, teaches people to see the best in themselves and their communities.
The citation reads:
"With her conviction that 'all people are equal in the sight of God', Sister M. Isolina Ferre has combined her deep religious faith with her compassionate and creative advocacy for the disadvantaged. Through the centers she founded in her native Puerto Rico and her work in New York City and Appalachia, she has empowered individuals and families by helping them recognize their dignity and abilities. Emphasizing the value of education, self-reliance, and meaningful employment, she helps young people realize their potential. With her good heart and selfless spirit, Sister Isolina Ferre has given many the gift of hope and the promise of a fulfilling future.
Oliver White Hill, Clinton said, "has challenged the laws of our land and the conscience of our country." He has stood up "for everything to make America one, indivisible and equal."
The citation reads:
"A courageous civil rights advocate, Oliver Hill has devoted his life to building a more just and inclusive America. As a trial lawyer, he won landmark cases that secured equal rights for African Americans in education, employment, housing, voting, and jury selection. Successfully litigating one of the school desegregation cases later decided by the Supreme Court in Brown vs. Board of Education, he played a key role in overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine. For his unyielding efforts to improve the lives of his fellow Americans and his unwavering dedication to justice for all, our Nation honors Oliver Hill."
Kampelman, Clinton said, had a lifelong passion for victims of human rights abuses. During the Cold War, his unflinching words kept human rights at the center of East-West relations, Clinton said. "He has excelled as a diplomat, philanthropist, humanitarian."
The citation reads:
"Throughout his distinguished career as a lawyer, educator, and diplomat, Max Kampelman has resolutely promoted social justice and democratic values. As the leader of the U.S. Delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, he championed human rights and gave legitimacy to their pursuit, undermining the pillars of communism and helping to lead to its collapse. As a tenacious negotiator, he laid the groundwork for long-term nuclear arms reduction between the United States and the Soviet Union. A skilled and courageous Ambassador, Max Kampelman has made lasting contributions to human dignity and a more secure world."
Wayburn, Clinton said, "has helped to preserve the most breathtaking examples of the American wilderness," and "has saved more of our wilderness than any other person alive."
The citation reads:
"A distinguished physician and environmental pioneer, Edgar Wayburn has dedicated his life to sustaining the health of our earth and its people. Recognizing that development threatened California's most beautiful open spaces, he worked to establish the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Redwood National Park. With his wife, Peggy, he led a successful campaign to preserve millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness. Edgar Wayburn's devotion to national and international conservation has enriched Americans' lives, and he has earned the Nation's profound gratitude."
Washington - President Clinton will award the Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, to ex-Presidents of the United States Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter in two special ceremonies during the week of August 9.
Other recipients include former U.S. Senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, Carter's wife, Rosalynn, World Jewish Congress President Edgar Bronfman, veteran U.S. diplomat Max Kampelman and a number of labor, civil rights and environmental activists.
President Clinton will present the Carters their medals in Atlanta on August 9, and will award medals to the other recipients at a White House ceremony on August 11.
Following is the White House text:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
August 5, 1999
Statement by the Press Secretary
President Clinton announced today that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the Nation's highest civilian honor, to 10 distinguished individuals. The President will bestow the medals at ceremonies to take place during the week of August 9, 1999.
Lloyd M. Bentsen. President Clinton's first Secretary of the Treasury, Lloyd Bentsen served in the House of Representatives from 1948 to 1954. In 1970, he was elected to the United States Senate and served 22 years, including six as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Bentsen was the Vice-Presidential nominee for the Democratic Party in 1988.
Edgar M. Bronfman, Sr. As President of the World Jewish Congress, Edgar Bronfman, Sr. has worked to ensure basic rights for Jews around the world and to fight anti-Semitism and has spearheaded the effort to retrieve the assets of Holocaust victims and their families. Through the Samuel Bronfman Foundation, he has supported educational, literary, scientific, charitable, and religious organizations throughout the world.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. As Thirty-ninth President of the United States, Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David accords, signed the Panama Canal Treaty, and reestablished normal diplomatic relations with China. Together, the Carters created the Carter Center to promote peace, democracy, and improved health around the world. Through the Center, they launched the Atlanta Project, a grass-roots program to combat urban social ills in the U.S. As a statesman, President Carter has been a successful diplomat in hot spots around the world. Mrs. Carter is a longtime advocate of improved mental health care, widespread childhood immunization, women's equality, and enhanced care for seniors. Each year, the Carters help to build homes for the needy through Habitat for Humanity.
Evy Dubrow. For more than 50 years, Evelyn "Evy" Dubrow has advocated for laws that would improve domestic labor conditions. A representative for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and for the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, she has been influential in numerous causes, including broadening laws against discrimination and protecting American industry from unfair foreign competition.
Sister M. Isolina Ferre. Founder and chief executive officer of Centros Sor Isolina Ferre, four community service centers in Puerto Rico, Sister M. Isolina Ferre first gained international recognition in the late 1950s and 1960s for her mediation efforts with youth gangs in Brooklyn, New York. Today, her centers operate clinics and programs to empower the disadvantaged, teach them self-reliance, and lift them out of poverty. For her work with the poor in Puerto Rico, Appalachia, and New York, she received the 1989 Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism.
Gerald R. Ford. Thirty-eighth President of the United States, Gerald Ford was elected to 13 terms in Congress before he was chosen by Richard Nixon to be his Vice President. As President, he brought the Vietnam War to a close. Recognized for his honesty and integrity, he worked to restore confidence in government and the Presidency.
Oliver White Hill. One of our nation's great civil rights lawyers, Oliver Hill is best known for litigating one of the school desegregation cases that became Brown v. Board of Education. He and his team of lawyers filed more civil rights suits in Virginia than were filed in any other southern state during the segregation era. In 1948, he became the first African American politician since Reconstruction elected to the Richmond City Council.
Max Kampelman. Lawyer, negotiator, and diplomat, Max Kampelman held major negotiating posts under both Democratic and Republican administrations during the 1980s. In those roles, he emphasized human rights in East-West diplomacy and prepared the foundation for long-term arms reductions between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Reagan awarded Kampelman the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989.
Edgar Wayburn. Five-time president and a member of board of directors of the Sierra Club for almost 40 years, Edgar Wayburn pushed for the expansion of California's Mt. Tamalpais State Park and fought for the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. He also helped to create Redwood National Park in California's Del Norte County and later worked for its expansion. His advocacy helped produce the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, which protects 104 million acres.
The President will bestow the medal on President and Mrs. Carter in a ceremony at the Carter Center in Atlanta on August 9. The other honorees will receive their medals at a White House ceremony on August 11.
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Medal History
