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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Max M. Kampelman
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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Max M. Kampelman
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."
Ambassador Max M. Kampelman Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Clinton greets USIP Board Vice Chairman Max M. Kampelman at April Speech
WASHINGTON--Ambassador Max M. Kampelman, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Institute of Peace, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by President Bill Clinton in a special White House ceremony on August 11.
U.S. Institute of Peace President Dr. Richard H. Solomon observed: "I have had the honor to work closely with Max Kampelman for a decade and I can't think of anyone more deserving of such an honor. Max embodies the absolute best that American diplomacy stands for; his leadership of the Institute's Board of Directors continues to be an inspiration and encouragement for the entire Institute and its staff."
With a distinguished career of over thirty years in public service, Ambassador Kampelman has been on the front lines of American diplomacy and played a leading role in major negotiations under several presidential administrations. Kampelman's leadership was vital in creating a stable foundation for long-term American-Soviet arms reductions while serving as Counselor to the U.S. Department of State and head of the delegation to the U.S.-Soviet negotiations on Nuclear and Space Arms in Geneva during the Reagan Administration.
In recognition of Ambassador Kampelman's contributions to U.S.-European relations, President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989. Kampelman has also been the recipient of the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Ambassador Kampelman is currently of Counsel at the Washington law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. He also serves as chairman of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. Ambassador Kampelman holds a J.D. from New York University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota where he taught from 1946-48. Kampelman is a founder of the public television program "Washington Week in Review."
As ambassador and head of the U.S. delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), he was relentless in his efforts to advance the importance of human rights in East-West diplomacy during both the Carter and Reagan Administrations. Kampelman subsequently served as head of the U.S. delegation to several CSCE Conferences including the Copenhagen Conference on the Human Dimension in 1990 and Geneva Conference on National Minorities in 1991. Ambassador Kampelman also served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. delegation to the United Nations and as legislative counsel to U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey.
Ambassador Kampelman (left) with a pro-democracy demonstrator in Belgrade (photographed from a CNN video tape). Kampelman visited Belgrade in December 1996 representing the United States as part of a fact-finding delegation for the OSCE. See USIP PeaceWatch story.
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Medal History
