Presidential Medal of Freedom

"Medal of Freedom" redirects here. For other uses, see Medal of Freedom (disambiguation).
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The award's miniature medal
TypeCivilian award
Awarded forAny reason as determined by the president[1]
CountryUnited States
Presented byPresident of the United States
First awardedDecember 6, 1963 (December 6, 1963)[2]
Total recipients652 (an average of fewer than 11 per year since 1963)
Service ribbons of the award
(at left: Medal with Distinction)
Precedence
Next (higher)None
EquivalentCongressional Gold Medal
Next (lower)Presidential Citizens Medal

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative,"[3] and was created to recognize people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."[4] The award is not limited to U.S. citizens, and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform. It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, superseding the Medal of Freedom that was initially established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to honor civilian service.

Occasionally, the medal award is further denoted as, "with distinction." There are no specific criteria for receiving the award with distinction; Executive Order 11085 simply specifies that the award should come in two degrees, and hence any decision to award the higher degree is entirely at the discretion of the president. In 2017, President Barack Obama stated that receiving the award with distinction indicates "an additional level of veneration"[5] in a class of individuals already held in the highest esteem. As of June 2024, the medal has been awarded with distinction at least 55 times, amounting to approximately 8% of all awards.[6]

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the supreme civilian decoration that can be awarded in discretion of the president, whereas its predecessor, the Medal of Freedom, was inferior in precedence to the Medal for Merit; the Medal of Freedom was awarded by any of three Cabinet secretaries, whereas the Medal for Merit was awarded by the president, as is the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[7]

  1. ^ Executive Order 11515, signed March 13, 1970; Federal Register 35 FR 4543. "The President may select for the award of the Medal any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by the President upon his own initiative."
  2. ^ "Presidential Medal of Freedom ] Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica". 11 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Executive Order 11515—Terminating Certain Bodies Established by the President | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  4. ^ "Executive Order 11085—The Presidential Medal of Freedom | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  5. ^ Ovenden, Olivia (2017-01-13). "The Internet's Teary Reactions To Obama And Biden's Last Public Display Of Bromance". Esquire. Archived from the original on 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  6. ^ Leubsdorf, Ben (2024-05-03). Presidential Medal of Freedom (Report). Congressional Research Service. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-06-09.
  7. ^ "Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients". U.S. Senate. November 17, 2015. Archived from the original on July 14, 2004. Retrieved May 6, 2016.