You’ve probably seen the photos. A President leaning over a podium, carefully draping a blue silk ribbon with a white star around the neck of a weeping athlete, a stony-faced scientist, or a legendary musician. It’s a moment of peak American pageantry. But if you’ve ever stopped to wonder what is the medal of freedom given for exactly, the answer is both simpler and way more complicated than "being famous."
It’s the highest civilian honor in the United States. Period. There is nothing above it for someone who isn't in uniform. While the Congressional Gold Medal is its legislative cousin, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is entirely the executive branch's playground. The President decides who gets it, when they get it, and—sometimes most controversially—why they get it.
Honestly, the criteria are broad. Like, really broad.
According to Executive Order 11085, signed by JFK, the medal is for people who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." That’s a lot of legal-speak for "doing something huge."
The Three Pillars of the Medal
When you peel back the layers of history, you see that most recipients fall into one of three buckets.
First, there’s the security and national interest crowd. We’re talking about people who moved the needle on how the country functions or survives. Think about Margaret Hamilton, the software engineer whose code literally landed Apollo 11 on the moon. Without her, that "giant leap for mankind" might have been a giant crash. Or consider figures like Madeleine Albright, who shaped decades of American foreign policy. These aren't just "good employees"; they are people whose work redefined the American landscape.
Then you have world peace. This one is heavy. It’s for the activists, the diplomats, and the humanitarians. Mother Teresa received it. So did Nelson Mandela. It’s a way for the U.S. government to say, "The world is better because you’re in it."
The third category is the one that gets the most clicks: cultural and public endeavors. This is the "everything else" category. It covers everyone from Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth to Steven Spielberg and Ellen DeGeneres. Some critics argue this has turned the medal into a bit of a celebrity participation trophy, but the counter-argument is that culture is the American brand. If you influence the way millions of people think, feel, or spend their Sunday afternoons, you’ve made a "meritorious contribution."
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A Little History (It Wasn’t Always This Way)
The medal we know today didn't just pop out of thin air. It has a bit of a messy backstory. Originally, Harry S. Truman established the "Medal of Freedom" in 1945. Back then, it was mostly to honor service during World War II. It was a bit more bureaucratic and less about the "celebrity" factor.
Fast forward to 1963. John F. Kennedy decided the award needed a glow-up. He wanted something that honored civilian excellence across the board, not just war-related service. He signed the executive order to expand it, but tragically, he was assassinated before he could present the first batch of the new "Presidential" version. It fell to Lyndon B. Johnson to host the first ceremony, where he honored the very man who created the modern version of the award—posthumously, of course.
Since then, over 600 people have received it.
Does the President Just Pick Their Friends?
Basically, yes. But also no.
There is a formal process. The Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board technically reviews nominations and makes recommendations. Anyone can technically nominate someone, though most of those letters probably end up in a very large recycling bin. However, at the end of the day, the President has the final word.
This is where things get spicy. Because the President has total discretion, the award often reflects the politics of the person in the Oval Office.
- Barack Obama gave a lot of medals to icons of the civil rights movement and giants of the arts, like Toni Morrison and Bruce Springsteen.
- Donald Trump leaned heavily into sports and conservative icons, awarding the medal to the likes of Tiger Woods, Lou Holtz, and Rush Limbaugh.
- Joe Biden has used it to honor those fighting for voting rights and healthcare, including people like Medgar Evers (posthumously) and Juliet Garcia.
Is it political? Of course. It’s an award given by a politician in a political city. But that doesn't mean the contributions aren't real. Even if you disagree with a recipient's politics, it’s hard to argue that someone like Antonin Scalia or John Lewis didn't fundamentally change the American conversation.
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The Anatomy of the Medal
The physical award is actually quite beautiful. It’s a gold star with white enamel, featuring five gold eagles. It sits on a blue field. If you look closely, you’ll see the words "United States of America" on the reverse.
There is also a higher tier called the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. This is rare. It’s the "VIP" version. The recipient wears the medal as a star on their left chest and a sash over their right shoulder. Very few people get this. We’re talking about folks like Pope John Paul II, Colin Powell, and Ronald Reagan. It’s the highest of the high.
Can You Lose Your Medal?
This is a question that comes up every time a recipient gets into legal trouble. Short answer: Not really.
There is no formal mechanism to "revoke" a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Once you have it, you have it. This became a massive talking point regarding Bill Cosby. When he was convicted of sexual assault, there were huge public outcries for the White House to take the medal back. President Obama famously said at the time that there was no precedent or legal path to do so. While the conviction was later overturned on a technicality, the debate highlighted a weird quirk in the law—the medal is forever, even if the recipient’s reputation isn’t.
Why Do We Care?
In a world full of "Influencer of the Year" awards and "30 Under 30" lists, the Presidential Medal of Freedom still carries weight. Why? Because it’s a permanent record of what the United States valued at a specific moment in time.
When you look at the list of winners, you’re looking at a map of American progress, conflict, and obsession. You see the space race. You see the fight for equality. You see the birth of the internet. You see the movies that made us cry and the athletes who made us cheer.
It’s a legacy project.
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How to Actually Get Noticed (Not That You're Asking)
If you're sitting there wondering how you can get one of these blue ribbons around your neck, you’re playing a long game. Most recipients aren't "trying" to get the medal. They are trying to solve a specific problem, master a specific craft, or change a specific law.
- Be the absolute best at something. You can't just be a "good" physicist. You have to be the physicist who discovers a new particle or saves the power grid.
- Longevity matters. Very few people get this award for a "one-hit wonder." Most recipients have decades of service or work behind them.
- Influence. Your work has to ripple outward. It’s not just about what you did; it’s about how what you did changed other people’s lives.
The Wrap-Up
So, what is the medal of freedom given for? It’s given for being an outlier. It’s for the people who didn't just play the game but changed the rules entirely. Whether it's a singer like Aretha Franklin or a pioneer like Grace Hopper, the medal is the country's way of saying, "We see what you did, and we won't forget it."
It’s messy, it’s political, it’s glamorous, and it’s deeply American.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to dive deeper into the history of American honors or even see the full list of names that have shaped the last 60 years, here is what you can do:
- Visit the White House Archive: You can search the official archives of past administrations to read the "citations." These are the short speeches given during the ceremony that explain exactly why a person was chosen. They are often incredibly moving.
- Check out the Smithsonian: The National Museum of American History often has medals on display from various eras. Seeing one in person gives you a sense of the craftsmanship involved.
- Research the "With Distinction" list: If you want to see the "best of the best," look up the names of the few dozen people who received the medal with distinction. It’s a fascinating cross-section of world history.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom remains the ultimate "thank you" from the American people, delivered via the Oval Office. It’s a tradition that, despite the inevitable political bickering, continues to define what excellence looks like in the United States.
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