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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
Senator George J. Mitchell,
United States Senate Majority Leader
No matter how many times you hear or read the words that are at the base of the Statue of Liberty, the famous poem by Emma Lazarus -- "Give us your tired and your poor " -- you get goose bumps, and you think about the fact that the United States has been the place of hope and opportunity for people from its very beginning to the present day.
Presidential Medal of Freedom for George Mitchell
President Clinton will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Senator George J. Mitchell at the White House on March 17, 1999 as part of the annual St. Patrick's Day observance. The Medal of Freedom is this nation's highest civilian honor, and it is a fitting tribute to the extraordinary accomplishments of Senator Mitchell.
Wednesday, March 17, 1999
PRESIDENT CLINTON:
A LEADER FOR PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
St. Patrick's Day is a time for rejoicing in the spirit of all things Irish and Irish-American. But when the celebration is over, the essential work of peace must be completed. As you move forward, the United States will remain beside you every step of the way.
President Bill Clinton
March 17, 1999
President Clinton Is Working To Bring Peace To Northern Ireland . Last Spring, Protestant and Catholic leaders in Northern Ireland signed the historic Good Friday Accord, ending decades of bloodshed and establishing a new structure for peace throughout Ireland. This historic agreement, followed by a successful referendum and assembly elections, are the products of courageous leadership and popular resolve among the Irish people. President Clinton is proud to have contributed to Ireland's hard-fought peace by bringing Protestants and Catholics together and dispatching former Senator George Mitchell to assist in brokering the Accord. Today, the President honors Senator Mitchell for his tireless diplomatic efforts on behalf of this cause with the Medal of Freedom.
A Continued Commitment to Peace . Over the past year, Protestant and Catholic leaders alike have made significant progress towards implementation of the Good Friday Accord, including: - Establishing mandates for new executive departments and cross-border bodies;
- Progress towards the establishment of a Commission on Policing;
- Appointing a new Human Rights Commission;
- Reducing British security forces in Northern Ireland;
- Releasing of prisoner by the British and Irish governments.
Challenges Remain But The President Remains Committed To The Peace Effort . As the recent murder of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson demonstrated, keeping peace can be more difficult than waging war. President Clinton is committed to supporting the people of Ireland as they continue to work for peace by: - Providing financial support for the new Northern Ireland Assembly;
- Training new Assembly members;
- Supporting non-governmental organizations and civil society programs;
- Investing in Northern Ireland's future by supporting the University of Ulster and other educational institutions;
- Improving the investment climate in Northern Ireland.
As judge, lawmaker and statesman, George Mitchell has devoted his life to the determined pursuit of the common good. No one contributed more than he to bringing about the Good Friday peace accord in Northern Ireland last year. In displaying exceptional qualities as a patient listener, determined chairman, and above all, a fair man, he built the trust essential to reaching an agreement among eight parties and two governments. He has helped bring the people of Northern Ireland closer to lasting peace than they have been in thirty years of sectarian conflict, and he has given inspiration to others around the world seeking to resolve seemingly intractable disputes in their nations.
George Mitchell was appointed to the United States Senate in 1980 to complete the term of Senator Edmund S. Muskie, who resigned to become Secretary of State. He was elected to a full term in the Senate in 1982, and in 1988, he was reelected with 81 percent of the vote, the largest margin in Maine history. Mitchell became the Senate Majority Leader in January 1989. He left the Senate in 1995 and joined Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand, where he currently serves as the firm’s chairman.
Senator George J. Mitchell with Mary Robinson, President of Ireland, 1990-1997
Recently, Senator Mitchell served as chairman of the Peace Negotiations in Northern Ireland. Under his leadership the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland agreed to a historic accord, ending decades of conflict. In May 1998, the voters of Ireland, North and South, in a referendum, overwhelmingly endorsed the agreement. For his service, Senator Mitchell received numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor the U.S. Government can bestow.
At the request of President Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat, Senator Mitchell served as chairman of an international fact finding committee on violence in the Middle East. The committee’s recommendation, widely known as “The Mitchell Report,” was adopted by the Bush Administration as its policy in the region and has been endorsed by the European Union and many other governments.
Senator Mitchell received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in 1954, and then served in Berlin, Germany as an officer in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps until 1956. He received an LL.B. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1960. From 1960 to 1962 he was a trial lawyer in the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. From 1962 to 1965 he served as executive assistant to Senator Muskie. In 1965 he returned to Maine where he engaged in the private practice of law until 1977. He was then appointed U.S. Attorney for Maine, a position he held until 1979, when he was appointed U.S. District Judge for Maine. He resigned that position in 1980 to accept appointment to the U.S. Senate.
The George J. Mitchell Papers at Bowdoin College contain documents, photographs, videos, memorabilia, newsclippings, and other materials that record his life of public service as jurist, United States Senator, and international statesman. The collection continues to grow, in large part due to Senator Mitchell's ongoing involvement in world affairs.
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Medal History
