Bob Dylan to Receive The Presidential Medal of Freedom
The White House has announced that Bob Dylan will be awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom. He will be one of 13 new recipients. The awards will be given out sometime in the late spring.
President Obama made this statement as part of the announcement: “These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our Nation. They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place. I look forward to recognizing them with this award.”
The other winners along with Bob Dylan are Madeleine Albright, John Doar, William Foege, John Glenn, Gordon Hirabayashi, Dolores Huerta, Jan Karski, Juliette Gordon Low, Toni Morrison, Shimon Peres, John Paul Stevens and Pat Summitt.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with the comparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States. It recognizes those individuals 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.” The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded tomilitary personnel and worn on the uniform.
Here’s the official statement from The White House.
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