Presidential Citizens Medal

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Presidential Citizens Medal
TypeMedal
Awarded for"Exemplary deeds or services [performed] for his or her country or fellow citizens."
Presented byPresident of the United States
EligibilityCitizens of the United States
StatusActive
Established1969
First awarded1973
Ribbon of the medal
Precedence
Next (higher)Presidential Medal of Freedom
Next (lower)Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor

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.

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.

Recipients[edit]

President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Citizens Medal to D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone during a ceremony on January 6, 2023
Recipient Year Notes
Henry "Hank" Aaron 2001
Albert Abramson 1998
Clarence Alexander 2011
Muhammad Ali 2001
Juan Andrade Jr. 2001
Richard Lee Armitage 1989[1]
Brooke Astor 1988
Hubert Dickey Ballantine 1981
Arnold O. Beckman 1989
Ezra Taft Benson 1989
Jocelyn Benson 2023[2]
Mitchell Besser 2008
James H. Billington 2008
Forrest M. Bird 2008
Milly Bloomquist 2011
Rusty Bowers 2023[2]
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[2]
Lawrence Eagleburger 1991
Caroline Edwards 2023[2]
Vijaya Lakshmi Emani 2011 (posthumous)
Jaime Escalante 1988
Michael Fanone 2023[2]
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[2]
Robert M. Gates 1992
Robert P. George 2008
Susan Retik Ger 2010
Dana Gioia 2008
Maria Gomez 2012
Aquillino Gonell 2023[2]
Eugene Goodman 2023[2]
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[2]
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[2] (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
Shaye Moss 2023[2]
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[2]
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[2] (posthumous)
Gary Sinise 2008
Jeffrey L. Smith 2023[2] (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.[3]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Coalliance RUART00235.pdf Page 4 Archived 2015-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Obama to Honor Recipients of the 2012 Citizens Medal". whitehouse.gov. February 15, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2013 – via National Archives.

External links[edit]