President Obama Honors 2013 Medal of Freedom Recipients
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/11/20/president-obama-honors-2013-medal-freedom-recipients?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=112113-topper
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established 50 years ago
by President John F. Kennedy, is our nation’s highest civilian honor. The medal
has been presented to more than 500 individuals who have made especially
“meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States,
to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private
endeavors.”
Today, in a ceremony at the White House, President Obama
added 16 names to that distinguished list.
Recipients of the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom
included sports champions and scientists, musicians and civil rights leaders,
activists and journalists, media moguls and public servants.
“These are the men and women who in their extraordinary
lives remind us all of the beauty of the human spirit, the values that define
us as Americans, the potential that lives inside of all of us,” President Obama
said.
Watch video of the ceremony here or read more about each of
the 2013 recipients below.
Ernie Banks
Known to many as “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks is one of the
greatest baseball players of all time. During his 19 seasons with the Chicago
Cubs, he played in 11 All-Star Games, hit over 500 home runs, and became the
first National League player to win Most Valuable Player honors in back-to-back
years. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of
eligibility.
Ben Bradlee
Ben Bradlee is one of
the most respected newsmen of his generation. During his tenure as executive
editor of The Washington Post, Mr. Bradlee oversaw coverage of the Watergate
scandal, successfully challenged the Federal Government over the right to
publish the Pentagon Papers, and guided the newspaper through some of its most
challenging moments. He also served in the Navy during World War II.
Bill Clinton
President Clinton was
the 42nd President of the United
States. Before taking office, he served as
Governor and Attorney General of the State of Arkansas. Following his second term,
President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation to improve global health,
strengthen economies, promote health and wellness, and protect the environment.
He also formed the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund with President George W. Bush in
2010.
Daniel Inouye (posthumous)
Daniel Inouye was a
lifelong public servant. As a young man, he fought in World War II with the
442nd Regimental Combat Team, for which he received the Medal of Honor. He was
later elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives, the United
States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. Senator Inouye
was the first Japanese American to serve in Congress, representing the people
of Hawaii from the moment they joined the Union.
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman is a
pioneering scholar of psychology. After escaping Nazi occupation in World War
II, Dr. Kahneman immigrated to Israel,
where he served in the Israel Defense Forces and trained as a psychologist. Alongside
Amos Tversky, he applied cognitive psychology to economic analysis, laying the
foundation for a new field of research and earning the Nobel Prize in Economics
in 2002. He is currently a professor at Princeton University.
Richard Lugar
Richard Lugar
represented Indiana
in the United States Senate for more than 30 years. An internationally
respected statesman, he is best known for his bipartisan leadership and
decades-long commitment to reducing the threat of nuclear weapons. Prior to
serving in Congress, Senator Lugar was a Rhodes Scholar and Mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to
1975. He currently serves as President of the Lugar Center.
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is a
country music legend. Raised in rural Kentucky,
she emerged as one of the first successful female country music vocalists in
the early 1960s, courageously breaking barriers in an industry long dominated
by men. Ms. Lynn’s numerous accolades include the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003
and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
Mario Molina
Mario Molina is a
visionary chemist and environmental scientist. Born in Mexico, Dr. Molina came to America to
pursue his graduate degree. He later earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for
discovering how chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone layer. Dr. Molina is a
professor at the University of California, San Diego; Director of the Mario
Molina Center for Energy and Environment; and a member of the President’s
Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Sally Ride (posthumous)
Sally Ride was the
first American female astronaut to travel to space. As a role model to
generations of young women, she advocated passionately for science education, stood
up for racial and gender equality in the classroom, and taught students from
every background that there are no limits to what they can accomplish. Dr. Ride
also served in several administrations as an advisor on space exploration.
Bayard Rustin (posthumous)
Bayard Rustin was an
unyielding activist for civil rights, dignity, and equality for all. An advisor
to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he promoted nonviolent resistance,
participated in one of the first Freedom Rides, organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom, and fought tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and abroad.
As an openly gay African American, Mr. Rustin stood at the intersection of
several of the fights for equal rights.
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a
celebrated jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. Born outside Havana, he became a protégé of jazz legend
Dizzy Gillespie and gained international acclaim as a dynamic performer. He
defected to the United
States in 1990 and later became an American
citizen. He has been awarded nine Grammy Awards and is widely considered one of
the greatest living jazz artists.
Dean Smith
Dean Smith was head
coach of the University
of North Carolina
basketball team from 1961 to 1997. In those 36 years, he earned 2 national
championships, was named National Coach of the Year multiple times, and retired
as the winningest men’s college basketball coach in history. Ninety-six percent
of his players graduated from college. Mr. Smith has also remained a dedicated civil
rights advocate throughout his career.
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem is a
renowned writer and activist for women’s equality. She was a leader in the
women’s liberation movement, co-founded Ms. magazine, and helped launch a wide
variety of groups and publications dedicated to advancing civil rights. Ms.
Steinem has received dozens of awards over the course of her career, and
remains an active voice for women’s rights.
Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian
C.T. Vivian is a
distinguished minister, author, and organizer. A leader in the Civil Rights
Movement and friend to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he
participated in Freedom Rides and sit-ins across our country. Dr. Vivian also
helped found numerous civil rights organizations, including Vision, the National
Anti-Klan Network, and the Center for Democratic Renewal. In 2012, he returned
to serve as interim President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Patricia Wald
Patricia Wald is one
of the most respected appellate judges of her generation. After graduating as 1
of only 11 women in her Yale University Law
School class, she became the first
woman appointed to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia,
and served as Chief Judge from 1986-1991. She later served on the International
Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.
Ms. Wald currently serves on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is one
of the world’s most successful broadcast journalists. She is best known for
creating The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became the highest rated talk show in America for 25
years. Ms. Winfrey has long been active in philanthropic causes and expanding
opportunities for young women. She has received numerous awards throughout her
career, including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002 and the Kennedy
Center Honors in 2010.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/11/20/president-obama-honors-2013-medal-freedom-recipients?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=112113-topper
President Obama Honors 2013 Medal of Freedom Recipients
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/11/20/president-obama-honors-2013-medal-freedom-recipients?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=112113-topper
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established 50 years ago
by President John F. Kennedy, is our nation’s highest civilian honor. The medal
has been presented to more than 500 individuals who have made especially
“meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States,
to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private
endeavors.”
Today, in a ceremony at the White House, President Obama
added 16 names to that distinguished list.
Recipients of the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom
included sports champions and scientists, musicians and civil rights leaders,
activists and journalists, media moguls and public servants.
“These are the men and women who in their extraordinary
lives remind us all of the beauty of the human spirit, the values that define
us as Americans, the potential that lives inside of all of us,” President Obama
said.
Watch video of the ceremony here or read more about each of
the 2013 recipients below.
Ernie Banks
Known to many as “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks is one of the
greatest baseball players of all time. During his 19 seasons with the Chicago
Cubs, he played in 11 All-Star Games, hit over 500 home runs, and became the
first National League player to win Most Valuable Player honors in back-to-back
years. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of
eligibility.
Ben Bradlee
Ben Bradlee is one of
the most respected newsmen of his generation. During his tenure as executive
editor of The Washington Post, Mr. Bradlee oversaw coverage of the Watergate
scandal, successfully challenged the Federal Government over the right to
publish the Pentagon Papers, and guided the newspaper through some of its most
challenging moments. He also served in the Navy during World War II.
Bill Clinton
President Clinton was
the 42nd President of the United
States. Before taking office, he served as
Governor and Attorney General of the State of Arkansas. Following his second term,
President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation to improve global health,
strengthen economies, promote health and wellness, and protect the environment.
He also formed the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund with President George W. Bush in
2010.
Daniel Inouye (posthumous)
Daniel Inouye was a
lifelong public servant. As a young man, he fought in World War II with the
442nd Regimental Combat Team, for which he received the Medal of Honor. He was
later elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives, the United
States House of Representatives, and the United States Senate. Senator Inouye
was the first Japanese American to serve in Congress, representing the people
of Hawaii from the moment they joined the Union.
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman is a
pioneering scholar of psychology. After escaping Nazi occupation in World War
II, Dr. Kahneman immigrated to Israel,
where he served in the Israel Defense Forces and trained as a psychologist. Alongside
Amos Tversky, he applied cognitive psychology to economic analysis, laying the
foundation for a new field of research and earning the Nobel Prize in Economics
in 2002. He is currently a professor at Princeton University.
Richard Lugar
Richard Lugar
represented Indiana
in the United States Senate for more than 30 years. An internationally
respected statesman, he is best known for his bipartisan leadership and
decades-long commitment to reducing the threat of nuclear weapons. Prior to
serving in Congress, Senator Lugar was a Rhodes Scholar and Mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to
1975. He currently serves as President of the Lugar Center.
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is a
country music legend. Raised in rural Kentucky,
she emerged as one of the first successful female country music vocalists in
the early 1960s, courageously breaking barriers in an industry long dominated
by men. Ms. Lynn’s numerous accolades include the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003
and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
Mario Molina
Mario Molina is a
visionary chemist and environmental scientist. Born in Mexico, Dr. Molina came to America to
pursue his graduate degree. He later earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for
discovering how chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone layer. Dr. Molina is a
professor at the University of California, San Diego; Director of the Mario
Molina Center for Energy and Environment; and a member of the President’s
Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Sally Ride (posthumous)
Sally Ride was the
first American female astronaut to travel to space. As a role model to
generations of young women, she advocated passionately for science education, stood
up for racial and gender equality in the classroom, and taught students from
every background that there are no limits to what they can accomplish. Dr. Ride
also served in several administrations as an advisor on space exploration.
Bayard Rustin (posthumous)
Bayard Rustin was an
unyielding activist for civil rights, dignity, and equality for all. An advisor
to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he promoted nonviolent resistance,
participated in one of the first Freedom Rides, organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom, and fought tirelessly for marginalized communities at home and abroad.
As an openly gay African American, Mr. Rustin stood at the intersection of
several of the fights for equal rights.
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a
celebrated jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. Born outside Havana, he became a protégé of jazz legend
Dizzy Gillespie and gained international acclaim as a dynamic performer. He
defected to the United
States in 1990 and later became an American
citizen. He has been awarded nine Grammy Awards and is widely considered one of
the greatest living jazz artists.
Dean Smith
Dean Smith was head
coach of the University
of North Carolina
basketball team from 1961 to 1997. In those 36 years, he earned 2 national
championships, was named National Coach of the Year multiple times, and retired
as the winningest men’s college basketball coach in history. Ninety-six percent
of his players graduated from college. Mr. Smith has also remained a dedicated civil
rights advocate throughout his career.
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem is a
renowned writer and activist for women’s equality. She was a leader in the
women’s liberation movement, co-founded Ms. magazine, and helped launch a wide
variety of groups and publications dedicated to advancing civil rights. Ms.
Steinem has received dozens of awards over the course of her career, and
remains an active voice for women’s rights.
Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian
C.T. Vivian is a
distinguished minister, author, and organizer. A leader in the Civil Rights
Movement and friend to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he
participated in Freedom Rides and sit-ins across our country. Dr. Vivian also
helped found numerous civil rights organizations, including Vision, the National
Anti-Klan Network, and the Center for Democratic Renewal. In 2012, he returned
to serve as interim President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Patricia Wald
Patricia Wald is one
of the most respected appellate judges of her generation. After graduating as 1
of only 11 women in her Yale University Law
School class, she became the first
woman appointed to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia,
and served as Chief Judge from 1986-1991. She later served on the International
Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.
Ms. Wald currently serves on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is one
of the world’s most successful broadcast journalists. She is best known for
creating The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became the highest rated talk show in America for 25
years. Ms. Winfrey has long been active in philanthropic causes and expanding
opportunities for young women. She has received numerous awards throughout her
career, including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2002 and the Kennedy
Center Honors in 2010.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/11/20/president-obama-honors-2013-medal-freedom-recipients?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=112113-topper
Remarks by the President at Presidential Medal of Freedom
Ceremony
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/11/20/remarks-president-presidential-medal-freedom-ceremony
East Room,11:17 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good
morning! (Applause.) Good morning, everybody! Everybody, please have a seat. Have a seat.
Well, on behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to the White
House. This is one of my favorite events
every year, especially special this year, as I look at this extraordinary group
of individuals and our opportunity to honor them with our nation’s highest civilian
honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
And this year, it’s just a little more special because this
marks the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy establishing this award. We’re honored, by the way, today to have with
us one of my favorite people -- Ethel Kennedy -- and a pretty good basketball
player, President Kennedy’s grandson, Jack.
(Applause.)
This medal has been bestowed on more than 500 deserving
people. Tonight, I’m looking forward to
joining some of these honorees, as well as members of the Kennedy family, as we
pay tribute to these 50 years of excellence.
And this morning, we’re honored to add 16 new names to this
distinguished list.
Today, we salute fierce competitors who became true
champions. In the sweltering heat of a Chicago summer, Ernie
Banks walked into the Cubs locker room and didn’t like what he saw. “Everybody was sitting around, heads down,
depressed,” he recalled. So Ernie piped
up and said, “Boy, what a great day!
Let’s play two!” (Laughter.) That’s “Mr. Cub” -- a man who came up through
the Negro Leagues, making $7 a day, and became the first black player to suit
up for the Cubs and one of the greatest hitters of all time. And in the process, Ernie became known as
much for his 512 home runs as for his cheer and his optimism and his eternal
faith that someday the Cubs would go all the way. (Laughter.)
And that's serious belief.
(Laughter.) That is something
that even a White Sox fan like me can respect.
(Laughter.) But he is just a
wonderful man and a great icon of my hometown.
Speaking of sports,
Dean Smith is one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, but
his successes go far beyond Xs and Os.
Even as he won 78 percent of his games, he graduated 96 percent of his
players. The first coach to use multiple
defenses in a game, he was the pioneer who popularized the idea of “pointing to
the passer” -- after a basket, players should point to the teammate who passed
them the ball. And with his first
national title on the line, he did have the good sense to give the ball to a
19-year-old kid named Michael Jordan.
(Laughter.) Although they used to
joke that the only person who ever held Michael under 20 was Dean Smith. (Laughter.)
While Coach Smith couldn’t join us today due to an illness
that he’s facing with extraordinary courage, we also honor his courage in
helping to change our country -- he recruited the first black scholarship
athlete to North Carolina and helped to
integrate a restaurant and a neighborhood in Chapel Hill. That's the kind of character that he represented
on and off the court.
We salute innovators who pushed the limits of science,
changing how we see the world -- and ourselves.
And growing up, Sally Ride read about the space program in the newspaper
almost every day, and she thought this was “the coolest thing around.” When she was a PhD candidate at Stanford she
saw an ad for astronauts in the student newspaper and she seized the
opportunity. As the first American woman
in space, Sally didn’t just break the stratospheric glass ceiling, she blasted
through it. And when she came back to
Earth, she devoted her life to helping girls excel in fields like math, science
and engineering. “Young girls need to
see role models,” she said, “you can’t be what you can’t see.” Today, our daughters -- including Malia and
Sasha -- can set their sights a little bit higher because Sally Ride showed
them the way.
Now, all of us have moments when we look back and wonder,
“What the heck was I thinking?” I have
that -- (laughter) -- quite a bit.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman has made that simple question his life’s
work. In a storied career in Israel and America, he basically invented the
study of human decision-making. He’s
helped us to understand everything from behavioral economics to “Does living in
California
make people happy?” It’s an interesting
question. He’s also been called an
expert on irrational behavior -- so I'm sure that he could shed some light on Washington. (Laughter.)
But what truly sets Daniel apart is his curiosity. Guided by his belief that people are
“endlessly complicated and interesting,” at 79 he’s still discovering new
insights into how we think and learn, not just so we understand each other, but
so we can work and live together more effectively.
Dr. Mario Molina’s love of science started as a young boy in
Mexico City, in
a homemade laboratory in a bathroom at home.
And that passion for discovery led Mario to become one of the most
respected chemists of his era. He was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize -- or the Nobel Prize, rather, not only for his
path-breaking research, but also for his insistence that when we ignore
dangerous carbon emissions we risk destroying the ozone layer and endangering
our planet. And thanks to Mario’s work,
the world came together to address a common threat, and today, inspired by his
example, we’re working to leave our planet safer and cleaner for future generations.
We also have to salute musicians, who bring such joy to our
lives. Loretta Lynn was 19 the first
time she won the big -- she won big at the local fair. Her canned vegetables brought home 17 blue
ribbons -- (laughter) -- and made her “Canner of the Year.” (Laughter.) Now, that’s impressive. (Laughter.)
For a girl from Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, that was fame. Fortunately for all of us, she decided to try
her hand at things other than canning.
Her first guitar cost $17, and with it this coal miner’s daughter gave
voice to a generation, singing what no one wanted to talk about and saying what
no one wanted to think about. And now,
over 50 years after she cut her first record -- and canned her first vegetables
-- (laughter) -- Loretta Lynn still reigns as the rule-breaking, record-setting
queen of country music.
As a young man in Cuba, Arturo Sandoval loved jazz so
much it landed him in jail. It was the
Cold War, and the only radio station where he could hear jazz was the Voice of
America, which was dangerous to listen to.
But Arturo listened anyway.
Later, he defected to the United States knowing he might
never see his parents or beloved homeland again. “Without freedom,” he said, “there is no
life.” And today, Arturo is an American
citizen and one of the most celebrated trumpet players in the world. “There isn’t any place on Earth where the
people don’t know about jazz,” he says, and that’s true in part because
musicians like him have sacrificed so much to play it.
We salute pioneers who pushed our nation towards greater
justice and equality. A Baptist
minister, C.T. Vivian was one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s closest
advisors. “Martin taught us,” he says,
“that it’s in the action that we find out who we really are.” And time and again, Reverend Vivian was among
the first to be in the action: In 1947,
joining a sit-in to integrate an Illinois
restaurant; one of the first Freedom Riders; in Selma, on the courthouse steps to register
blacks to vote, for which he was beaten, bloodied and jailed. Rosa Parks said of him, “Even after things
had supposedly been taken care of and we had our rights, he was still out
there, inspiring the next generation, including me,” helping kids go to college
with a program that would become Upward Bound.
And at 89 years old, Reverend Vivian is still out there, still in the
action, pushing us closer to our founding ideals.
Now, early in the morning the day of the March on Washington, the National
Mall was far from full and some in the press were beginning to wonder if the
event would be a failure. But the
march’s chief organizer, Bayard Rustin, didn’t panic. As the story goes, he looked down at a piece
of paper, looked back up, and reassured reporters that everything was right on
schedule. The only thing those reporters
didn’t know was that the paper he was holding was blank. (Laughter.)
He didn’t know how it was going to work out, but Bayard had an
unshakable optimism, nerves of steel, and, most importantly, a faith that if
the cause is just and people are organized, nothing can stand in our way.
So, for decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King’s
side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay. No medal can change that, but today, we honor
Bayard Rustin’s memory by taking our place in his march towards true equality,
no matter who we are or who we love.
(Applause.)
Speaking of game-changers, disrupters, there was a young
girl names Gloria Steinem who arrived in New
York to make her mark as a journalist, and magazines
only wanted to write articles like “How to Cook without Really Cooking for
Men.” (Laughter.) Gloria noticed things like that. (Laughter.)
She’s been called a “champion noticer.”
She’s alert to all the ways, large and small, that women had been and,
in some cases, continue to be treated unfairly just because they’re women.
As a writer, a speaker, an activist, she awakened a vast and
often skeptical public to problems like domestic violence, the lack of
affordable child care, unfair hiring practices.
And because of her work, across America and around the world, more
women are afforded the respect and opportunities that they deserve. But she also changed how women thought about
themselves. And Gloria continues to pour
her heart into teaching and mentoring.
Her one piece of advice to young girls is -- I love this -- “Do not
listen to my advice. Listen to the voice
inside you and follow that.”
When Patricia Wald’s law firm asked if she’d come back after
having her first child, she said she’d like some time off to focus on her
family -- devoted almost 10 years to raising five children. But Patricia never lost the itch to practice
law. So while her husband watched the kids
at home, she’d hit the library on weekends.
At the age 40, she went back to the courtroom to show the “young kids” a
thing or two. As the first female judge
on the D.C. Circuit, Patricia was a top candidate for Attorney General. After leaving the bench, her idea of
retirement was to go to The Hague
to preside over the trials of war criminals.
Patricia says she hopes enough women will become judges that “it’s not
worth celebrating” anymore. But today,
we celebrate her. And along with Gloria,
she shows there are all kinds of paths listening to your own voice.
We salute communicators
who shined a light on stories no one else was telling. A veteran of World War II and more than a
dozen Pacific battles, Ben Bradlee brought the same intensity and dedication to
journalism. Since joining The Washington
Post 65 years ago, he transformed that newspaper into one of the finest in the
world. With Ben in charge, the Post
published the Pentagon Papers, revealing the true history of America’s involvement in Vietnam; exposed Watergate; unleashed a new era
of investigative journalism, holding America’s leaders accountable and
reminding us that our freedom as a nation rests on our freedom of the
press. When Ben retired, Senator Daniel
Patrick Moynihan put the admiration of many into a poem: “O rare Ben Bradlee/His reign has ceased/But
his nation stands/Its strength increased.”
And I also indicated to Ben he can pull off those shirts and
I can't. (Laughter.) He always looks so cool in them. (Laughter.)
Early in Oprah
Winfrey’s career, her bosses told her she should change her name to Susie. (Laughter.)
I have to pause here to say I got the same advice. (Laughter and applause.) They didn't say I should be named
"Susie," but they suggested I should change my name. (Laughter.)
People can relate to Susie, that's what they said. It turned out, surprisingly, that people
could relate to Oprah just fine.
In more than 4,500
episodes of her show, her message was always, "You can." "You can do and you can be and you can
grow and it can be better." And she
was living proof, rising from a childhood of poverty and abuse to the pinnacle
of the entertainment universe. But even
with 40 Emmys, the distinction of being the first black female billionaire,
Oprah’s greatest strength has always been her ability to help us discover the
best in ourselves. Michelle and I count
ourselves among her many devoted fans and friends. As one of those fans wrote, “I didn’t know I
had a light in me until Oprah told me it was there.” What a great gift.
And, finally, we
salute public servants who’ve strengthened our nation. Daniel Inouye was a humble man and didn’t
wear his Medal of Honor very often.
Instead, he liked to wear a pin representing the Good Conduct Medal he
earned as a teenage private. “To behave
yourself takes special effort,” he said,
“and I did not want to dishonor my family.” Danny always honored his family and his
country, even when his country didn’t always honor him.
After being
classified as an “enemy alien,” Danny joined a Japanese American unit that
became one of the most decorated in World War II. And as the second-longest serving senator in
American history, he showed a generation of young people -- including one kid
with a funny name growing up in Hawaii who
noticed that there was somebody during some of those hearings in Washington that didn't
look like everybody else, which meant maybe I had a chance to do something
important, too. He taught all of us that
no matter what you look like or where you come from, this country has a place
for everybody who’s willing to serve and work hard.
A proud Hoosier, Dick
Lugar has served America
for more than half a century, from a young Navy lieutenant to a respected
leader in the United States Senate. I’ll
always be thankful to Dick for taking me -- a new, junior senator -- under his
wing, including travels together to review some of his visionary work, the
destruction of Cold War arsenals in the former Soviet Union -- something that doesn’t get a lot of public
notice, but was absolutely critical to making us safer in the wake of the Cold
War.
Now, I should say,
traveling with Dick you get close to unexploded landmines, mortar shells, test
tubes filled with anthrax and the plague.
(Laughter.) His legacy, though,
is the thousands of missiles and bombers and submarines and warheads that no
longer threaten us because of his extraordinary work. And our nation and our world are safer
because of this statesman. And in a time of unrelenting partisanship, Dick
Lugar’s decency, his commitment to bipartisan problem-solving, stand as a model
of what public service ought to be.
Now, last, but never
least, we honor a leader who we still remember with such extraordinary
fondness. He still remembers as a child
waving goodbye to his mom -- tears in her eyes -- as she went off to nursing
school so she could provide for her family.
And I think lifting up families like his own became the story of Bill
Clinton’s life. He remembered what his
mom had to do on behalf of him and he wanted to make sure that he made life
better and easier for so many people all across the country that were
struggling in those same ways and had those same hopes and dreams. So as a governor, he transformed education so
more kids could pursue those dreams. As
President, he proved that, with the right choices, you could grow the economy,
lift people out of poverty. We could
shrink our deficits and still invest in our families, our health, our schools,
science, technology. In other words, we
can go farther when we look out for each other.
And as we’ve all seen, as President, he was just getting
started. He doesn’t stop. He’s helped lead relief efforts after the
Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake. His foundation and global initiative have
helped to save or improve the lives of literally hundreds of millions of
people. And, of course, I am most
grateful for his patience during the endless travels of my Secretary of
State. (Laughter.)
So I’m grateful, Bill, as well for the advice and counsel
that you’ve offered me on and off the golf course. (Laughter.)
And most importantly, for your lifesaving work around the world, which
represents what’s the very best in America. So thank you so much, President Clinton. (Applause.)
So these are the recipients of the 2013 Presidential Medal
of Freedom. These are the men and women
who in their extraordinary lives remind us all of the beauty of the human
spirit, the values that define us as Americans, the potential that lives inside
of all of us. I could not be more happy
and more honored to participate in this ceremony here today.
With that, what I would like to do is invite our honorees to
just sit there and let all of us stand and give you a big round of
applause. (Applause.)
I guess we should actually give them the medals,
though. (Laughter.) Where are my -- here we go. Lee, you want to hit it?
MILITARY AIDE:
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients.
Ernie Banks.
(Applause.) With an unmatched
enthusiasm for America’s
pastime, Ernie Banks slugged, sprinted and smiled his way into the record
books. Known to fans as “Mr. Cub,” he
played an extraordinary 19 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, during which he was
named to 11 All-Star teams, hit over 500 home runs, and won back-to-back Most
Valuable Player honors. Ernie Banks was
elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, and he will forever be known as
one of the finest power hitters and most dynamic players of all time. (Applause.)
Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee. (Applause.)
A titan of journalism, Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee is one of the most
respected newsmen of his generation.
After serving our nation in World War II, Ben Bradlee went on to defend
liberty here at home. Testing the limits of a free press during his tenure as
executive editor of The Washington Post, he oversaw coverage of the Watergate
scandal and successfully challenged the federal government over the right to
publish the Pentagon Papers. His passion for accuracy and unyielding pursuit of
truth continue to set the standard for journalism. (Applause.)
The Honorable William J. Clinton. (Applause.)
Among the finest public servants of our time, President William J.
Clinton argued cases for the people of Arkansas,
served his state in the Governor’s Mansion, and guided our nation into a new
century. As the 42nd President of the United States,
Bill Clinton oversaw an era of challenge and change, prosperity and
progress. His work after leaving public
office continues to reflect his passionate, unending commitment to improving
the lives and livelihoods of people around the world. In responding to needs both at home and
abroad, and as founder of the Clinton Foundation, he has shown that through
creative cooperation among women and men of goodwill, we can solve even the
most intractable problems. (Applause.)
Irene Hirano Inouye, accepting on behalf of her husband, the
Honorable Daniel K. Inouye.
(Applause.) A true patriot and
dedicated public servant, Daniel K. Inouye understood the power of leaders when
united in common purpose to protect and promote the tenets we cherish as
Americans. As a member of the revered
442nd Regimental Combat Team, Daniel Inouye helped free Europe
from the grasp of tyranny during World War II, for which he received the Medal
of Honor. Representing the people of Hawaii from the moment the islands joined the Union, he never lost sight of the ideals that bind us
across the 50 states. Senator Inouye’s
reason and resolve helped make our country what it is today, and for that, we
honor him. (Applause.)
Dr. Daniel Kahneman.
(Applause.) Daniel Kahneman’s
groundbreaking work earned him a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his
research developing prospect theory.
After escaping from Nazi-occupied France as a young boy and later
joining the Israel Defense Forces, Dr. Kahneman grew interested in
understanding the origins of people’s beliefs.
Combining psychology and economic analysis, and working alongside Dr.
Amos Tversky, Dr. Kahneman used simple experiments to demonstrate how people
make decisions under uncertain circumstances, and he forever changed the way we
view human judgment. (Applause.)
The Honorable Richard G. Lugar. (Applause.)
Representing the State of Indiana
for over three decades in the United States Senate, Richard G. Lugar put country
above party and self to forge bipartisan consensus. Throughout his time in the Senate, he offered
effective solutions to our national and international problems, advocating for
the control of nuclear arms and other weapons of mass destruction. Working with Senator Sam Nunn, Richard Lugar
established the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, one of our
country’s most successful national security initiatives, helping to sustain
American leadership and engage nations in collaboration after decades of
confrontation. He remains a strong voice
on foreign policy issues, and his informed perspective will have broad
influence for years to come. (Applause.)
Loretta Lynn.
(Applause.) Born a coal miner’s
daughter, Loretta Lynn has followed a bold path to become a legend in country
music. A singer, songwriter, and author,
she has written dozens of chart-topping songs, released scores of albums, and
won numerous accolades. Breaking
barriers in country music and entertainment, she opened doors for women not
only by winning tremendous achievements, but also by raising issues few dared
to discuss. Fearlessly telling her own
stories with candor and humor, Loretta Lynn has brought a strong female voice
to mainstream music, captured the emotions of women and men alike, and revealed
the common truths about life as it is lived.
(Applause.)
Dr. Mario Molina.
(Applause.) The curiosity and
creativity that inspired Mario Molina to convert his family’s bathroom into a
laboratory as a child have driven him through decades of scientific
research. Born in Mexico, Dr. Molina’s passion for chemistry
brought him to the United
States, where his investigations of
chlorofluorocarbons led to breakthroughs in our understanding of how they
deplete the ozone layer. The impact of
his discoveries extends far beyond his field, affecting environmental policy
and fostering international awareness, as well as earning him the 1995 Nobel
Prize in Chemistry. Today, Dr. Molina
remains a global leader, continuing to study air quality, climate change, and
the environment that connects us all.
(Applause.)
Tam O’Shaughnessy accepting on behalf of her life partner,
Dr. Sally K. Ride. (Applause.) Thirty years ago, Dr. Sally K. Ride soared
into space as the youngest American and first woman to wear the Stars and
Stripes above Earth’s atmosphere. As an
astronaut, she sought to keep America
at the forefront of space exploration.
As a role model, she fought tirelessly to inspire young people --
especially girls -- to become scientifically literate and to pursue careers in
science, technology, engineering, and math.
At the end of her life, she became an inspiration for those battling
pancreatic cancer, and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
community. The tale of a quiet hero,
Sally Ride’s story demonstrates that the sky is no limit for those who dream of
reaching for the stars. (Applause.)
Walter Naegle accepting on behalf of his partner, Bayard
Rustin. (Applause.) Bayard Rustin was a giant in the American
Civil Rights Movement. Openly gay at a
time when many had to hide who they loved, his unwavering belief that we are
all equal members of a “single human family” took him from his first Freedom
Ride to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights movement. Thanks to his unparalleled skills as an
organizer, progress that once seemed impossible appears, in retrospect, to have
been inevitable. Fifty years after the
March on Washington he organized, America honors
Bayard Rustin as one of its greatest architects for social change and a
fearless advocate for its most vulnerable citizens. (Applause.)
Arturo Sandoval.
(Applause.) Arturo Sandoval is
one of the world’s finest jazz musicians.
Born into poverty in Cuba
and held back by his government, he risked everything to share his gifts with
the world -- eventually defecting with help from Dizzy Gillespie, his mentor
and friend. In the decades since, this
astonishing trumpeter, pianist, and composer has inspired audiences in every
corner of the world and awakened a new generation of great performers. He remains one of the best ever to play. (Applause.)
Linnea Smith, accepting on behalf of her husband, Dean E.
Smith. (Applause.) Dean E. Smith spent 36 seasons taking college
basketball to new heights. As head coach
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
he led his team to 11 Final Fours, two national titles, and 879 victories,
retiring as the winningest men’s college basketball coach in history. Dean Smith brought the same commitment to
supporting his players off the court. He
helped more than 96 percent of his lettermen graduate. And in an era of deep division, he taught
players to overcome bigotry with courage and compassion. He will forever stand as one of the greatest
coaches in college basketball history.
(Applause.)
Gloria Steiner.
(Applause.) A trailblazing writer
and feminist organizer, Gloria Steinem has been at the forefront of the fight
for equality and social justice for more than four decades. Instrumental to a broad range of initiatives
and issues, from establishing Ms. Magazine and Take Our Daughters to Work Day,
to pushing for women’s self-empowerment and an end to sex trafficking. She has promoted lasting political and social
change in America
and abroad. Through her reporting and
speaking, she has shaped debates on the intersection of sex and race, brought
critical problems to national attention, and forged new opportunities for women
in media. Gloria Steinem continues to
move us all to take up the cause of reaching for a more just tomorrow. (Applause.)
Reverend C.T. Vivian.
(Applause.) Equipped only with
courage and an overwhelming commitment to social justice, the Reverend C.T.
Vivian was a stalwart activist on the march toward racial equality. Whether at a lunch counter, on a Freedom
Ride, or behind the bars of a prison cell, he was unafraid to take bold action
in the face of fierce resistance. By
pushing change through nonviolent demonstration and advocacy, C.T. Vivian
established and led numerous organizations to support underserved individuals
and communities. His legacy of combating
injustice will shine as an example for generations to come. (Applause.)
Patricia McGowan Wald.
(Applause.) Patricia McGowan Wald
made history as the first woman appointed to the United States Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Rising to Chief Judge of the Court, she always strove to better
understand the law and fairly apply it.
After leaving federal service, Judge Wald helped institute standards for
justice and the rule of law at the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Hailed as a model judge, she laid a
foundation for countless women within the legal profession and helped unveil
the humanity within the law. (Applause.)
Oprah G. Winfrey.
(Applause.) Oprah G. Winfrey is a
global media icon. When she launched The
Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, there were few women -- and even fewer women of
color -- with a national platform to discuss the issues and events shaping our
times. But over the 25 years that
followed, Oprah Winfrey’s innate gift for tapping into our most fervent hopes
and deepest fears drew millions of viewers across every background, making her
show the highest-rated talk show in television history. Off screen, Oprah Winfrey has used her
influence to support underserved communities and to lift up the lives of young
people -- especially young women -- around the world. In her story, we are reminded that no dream
can be deferred when we refuse to let life’s obstacles keep us down. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: The
Medal of Freedom honorees -- please.
(Applause.)
Well, that concludes the formal part of today’s
ceremony. I want to thank all of you for
being here. Obviously, we are deeply
indebted to those who we honor here today.
And we’re going to have an opportunity to take some pictures with the
honorees and their family members.
The rest of you, I understand the food here is pretty good.
(Laughter.) So I hope you enjoy the
reception, and I hope we carry away from this a reminder of what JFK understood
to be the essence of the American spirit -- that it’s represented here. And some of us may be less talented, but we
all have the opportunity to serve and to open people’s hearts and minds in our
smaller orbits. So I hope everybody has
been as inspired, as I have been, participating and being with these people
here today.
Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)
END 12:00 P.M. EST