The Presidential Citizens Medal is an award bestowed by the president of the United States. It is the second-highest civilian award in the United States and is second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Established by executive order on November 13, 1969, by President Richard Nixon, it recognizes an individual "who has performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens." Only United States citizens are eligible for the medal, which may be awarded posthumously.
| Presidential Citizens Medal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | "Exemplary deeds or services [performed] for his or her country or fellow citizens." |
| Presented by | President of the United States |
| Eligibility | Citizens of the United States |
| Status | Active |
| Established | 1969 |
| First awarded | 1973 |
 Ribbon of the medal | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| Next (lower) | Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor |
The medal is a disc of gilt and enamel, based on the seal of the president of the United States, with the eagle surrounded by a wreath of leaves. The medal is suspended on a ribbon, dark blue with a light blue central stripe and white edge stripes. Despite being a civilian award, it may be worn on some military uniforms.[1]
Recipients
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| Recipient | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Henry "Hank" Aaron | 2001 | |
| Albert Abramson | 1998 | |
| Clarence Alexander | 2011 | |
| Muhammad Ali | 2001 | |
| Juan Andrade Jr. | 2001 | |
| Richard Lee Armitage | 1989[2] | |
| Brooke Astor | 1988 | |
| Hubert Dickey Ballantine | 1981 | |
| Arnold O. Beckman | 1989 | |
| Ezra Taft Benson | 1989 | |
| Jocelyn Benson | 2023[3] | |
| Mitchell Besser | 2008 | |
| James H. Billington | 2008 | |
| Forrest M. Bird | 2008 | |
| Milly Bloomquist | 2011 | |
| Rusty Bowers | 2023[3] | |
| James Scott Brady | 1989 | |
| T. Berry Brazelton | 2012 | |
| Ward Brehm | 2008 | |
| Ruby Bridges | 2001 | |
| Roberta Diaz Brinton | 2010 | |
| Daisy M. Brooks | 2010 | |
| Ronald H. Brown | 2001 | (posthumous) |
| William F. Buckley Jr. | 1989 | |
| Adam Burke | 2012 | |
| Don R. Cameron | 2001 | |
| Frank C. Carlucci | 1983 | |
| Raymond Castellani | 1995 | |
| Raymond G. Chambers | 2008 | |
| Betty Kwan Chinn | 2010 | |
| Cynthia M. Church | 2010 | |
| Roberto Clemente | 1973 | (posthumous) |
| Bruce Cole | 2008 | |
| Charles Colson | 2008 | |
| Mary Jo Copeland | 2012 | |
| Carol Coston, O.P. | 2001 | |
| Archibald Cox | 2001 | |
| Chester A. Crocker | 1989 | |
| Arthur Culvahouse Jr. | 1989 | |
| Rachel D'Avino | 2012 | (posthumous) |
| Joe Delaney | 1983 | (posthumous) |
| Charles DeLisi | 2001 | |
| Bob Dole | 1989 | |
| Michael Dorman | 2012 | |
| General Wayne A. Downing, USA (Ret.) | 2008 | |
| Samuel Nelson Drew | 1995 | (posthumous) |
| Kenneth M. Duberstein | 1989 | |
| Harry Dunn | 2023[3] | |
| Lawrence Eagleburger | 1991 | |
| Caroline Edwards | 2023[3] | |
| Vijaya Lakshmi Emani | 2011 | (posthumous) |
| Jaime Escalante | 1988 | |
| Michael Fanone | 2023[3] | |
| Mike Feinberg | 2008 | |
| Edwin Feulner | 1989 | |
| Arnold Fisher | 2008 | |
| Max M. Fisher | 1989 | |
| Zachary Fisher | 1995 | |
| Marlin Fitzwater | 1993 | |
| John P. Foley, S.J. | 2008 | |
| Malcolm S. Forbes | 1989 | |
| Donald R. Fortier | 1989 | (posthumous) |
| Robert C. Frasure | 1995 | (posthumous) |
| Ruby Freeman | 2023[3] | |
| Robert M. Gates | 1992 | |
| Robert P. George | 2008 | |
| Susan Retik Ger | 2010 | |
| Dana Gioia | 2008 | |
| Maria Gomez | 2012 | |
| Aquillino Gonell | 2023[3] | |
| Eugene Goodman | 2023[3] | |
| C. Boyden Gray | 1993 | |
| Jack Greenberg | 2001 | |
| Elinor C. Guggenheimer | 1997 | |
| Richard N. Haass | 1991 | |
| Dorothy Height | 1989 | |
| Charlton Heston | 1989 | |
| David Hermelin | 2000 | (posthumous) |
| John S. Herrington | 1989 | |
| Samuel J. Heyman | 2008 | |
| Colonel William R. (Rich) Higgins | 1992 | (posthumous) |
| David D. Ho | 2001 | |
| Dawn Hochsprung | 2012 | (posthumous) |
| Don Hodel | 1989 | |
| Daniel Hodges | 2023[3] | |
| Mary K. Hoodhood | 2010 | |
| Leamon Hunt | 1984 | |
| Janice Jackson | 2012 | |
| Pamela Green Jackson | 2012 | |
| Bernice Young Jones | 1996 | |
| I. King Jordan | 2001 | |
| Herman Kahn | 1989 | (posthumous) |
| Max Kampelman | 1989 | |
| Dennis Keogh | 1984 | (posthumous) |
| Richard James Kerr | 1991 | |
| Robert M. Kimmitt | 1991 | |
| Russell Kirk | 1989 | |
| Lane Kirkland | 1989 | |
| Wendy Kopp | 2008 | |
| Joseph C. Kruzel | 1995 | |
| Donald W. Landry | 2008 | |
| Janice Langbehn | 2011 | |
| Patience Lehrman | 2012 | |
| Dave Levin | 2008 | |
| Anthony Lewis | 2001 | |
| Howard Liebengood | 2023[3] | (posthumous) |
| Alan Lovelace | 1981 | |
| Jeanne Manford | 2012 | |
| Adair Margo | 2008 | |
| Robert S. Martin | 2008 | |
| John O. Marsh, Jr. | 1989 | |
| Andrew W. Marshall | 2008 | |
| Martin Mathews | 1981 | |
| Oseola McCarty | 1995 | |
| Kimberly McGuiness | 2010 | |
| Chelle McIntyre-Brewer | 2012 | |
| Richard Meadows | 1995 | (posthumous) |
| Bob Michel | 1989 | |
| Jeffery L. Miller | 2008 | |
| Billy Mills | 2012 | |
| Irene Morgan | 2001 | |
| Erwin Morse | 2008 | |
| Wandrea' ArShaye Moss | 2023[3] | |
| Constance Baker Motley | 2001 | |
| Jorge Muñoz | 2010 | |
| Anne Marie Murphy | 2012 | (posthumous) |
| William H. Natcher | 1994 | |
| Lisa Nigro | 2010 | |
| David Paton | 1987 | |
| Claiborne Pell | 1994 | |
| Pete Peterson | 2000 | |
| Mary Ann Phillips | 2010 | |
| General Colin Powell USA (Ret) | 1989 | |
| Donald E. Powell | 2008 | |
| Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam | 2010 | |
| Anne-Imelda Radice | 2008 | |
| Arnold Lewis Raphel | 1989 | (posthumous) |
| Rick Rescorla | 2019 | (posthumous) |
| Susan Retik | 2010 | |
| Rozanne L. Ridgeway | 1989 | |
| Helen Rodriguez-Trias | 2001 | |
| Adele Langston Rogers | 1973 | |
| John F. W. Rogers | 1985 | |
| Edward L. Rowny | 1989 | |
| Edward Roybal | 2001 | |
| Robert Rubin | 2001 | |
| Warren Rudman | 2001 | |
| Charles Ruff | 2001 | (posthumous) |
| Myrtle Faye Rumph | 2010 | |
| Lauren Rousseau | 2012 | (posthumous) |
| Elbert Rutan | 1986 | |
| Richard Rutan | 1986 | |
| Al Schmidt | 2023[3] | |
| Rabbi Arthur Schneier | 2001 | |
| Timothy R. Scully, C.S.C. | 2008 | |
| Eli J. Segal | 2001 | |
| John F. Seiberling | 2001 | |
| John Sengstacke | 2001 | (posthumous) |
| Mary Sherlach | 2012 | (posthumous) |
| Terry Shima | 2012 | |
| The Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth | 2001 | |
| Brian Sicknick | 2023[3] | (posthumous) |
| Gary Sinise | 2008 | |
| Jeffrey L. Smith | 2023[3] | (posthumous) |
| Victoria Leigh Soto | 2012 | (posthumous) |
| Larry Speakes | 1987 | |
| Stuart K. Spencer | 1989 | |
| Adrian St. John | 1995 | |
| William Howard Taft IV | 1989 | |
| Elizabeth Taylor | 2001 | |
| Edward Teller | 1989 | |
| Strom Thurmond | 1989 | |
| Richard H. Truly | 1989 | |
| Armando Valladares | 1989 | |
| John Volpe | 1983 | |
| Vernon A. Walters | 1989 | |
| Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret.) | 2008 | |
| Raymond Weeks | 1982 | |
| Geo. J. Weiss Jr. | 2010 | |
| John C. Whitehead | 1989 | |
| Charles Z. Wick | 1989 | |
| Marion Wiesel | 2001 | |
| Harris Wofford | 2012 | |
| Robert L. Woodson, Sr. | 2008 | |
| Patrisha Wright | 2001 | |
| Joseph R. Wright, Jr. | 1989 | |
| Sidney R. Yates | 1993 | |
| Jeana Yeager | 1986 | |
| Tony Zale | 1990 |
Hubert Dickey Ballantine and Martin Mathews were jointly awarded the 1981 Citizens Medal as founders of the Mathews-Dickey Boy's Club.
The teachers Rachel D'Avino, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, and Victoria Soto and school administrators Mary Sherlach and Dawn Hochsprung, who perished in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting defending their students, were jointly awarded the 2012 Citizens Medal posthumously.[4]
Most of the recipients of the 2023 Citizens Medal were awarded for their respective roles in the 2020 United States presidential election or their response to the subsequent January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their awards were delayed in 2021 and 2022.
See also
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References
edit- ^ "5301 - 5319 Awards".
- ^ Coalliance RUART00235.pdf Page 4 Archived 2015-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Biden honors police officers and election workers 2 years after the Capitol attack". whitehouse.gov. January 6, 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-21 – via NPR.
- ^ "Obama to Honor Recipients of the 2012 Citizens Medal". whitehouse.gov. February 15, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2013 – via National Archives.
External links
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- Nixon, Richard (November 13, 1969). – via Wikisource.
- The White House - Presidential Citizens Medal Criteria
- The White House - "President Clinton Awards the Presidential Citizens Medals"
- Library Thing - Presidential Citizens Medal; Archived 2009-02-10 at the Wayback Machine