Mary Lasker
Medical philanthropist, political strategist, and health activist Mary Lasker acted as the catalyst for the rapid growth of the biomedical research enterprise in the United States after World War II.
Tag Archives: Presidential Medal of Freedom
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Joan Ganz Cooney
American television producer and one of the creators of the iconic children’s educational television show “Sesame Street.”
Mildred Dresselhaus
Jewish-American physicist, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist known as the “Queen of Carbon Science.”
Margaret Hamilton
American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner; director of MIT Instrumentation Laboratory’s Software Engineering Division, a crucial role in developing onboard flight software for NASA’s Apollo program.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver was a key figure in the Kennedy family, known for her philanthropy. She founded the Special Olympics, a sports organization for those with physical and intellectual disabilities, earning her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984 for her dedicated efforts.
Annie Dodge Wauneka
Navajo leader and activist
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was an African-American mathematician who made contributions to NASA’s space programmme. She was featured in the 2017 film Hidden figures.
Sandra Day O’Connor
Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States, was one of the most influential Americans of the 1980s and 1990s.
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno has influenced the entertainment industry for over 70 years as an actress, singer, and dancer. After earning the four major entertainment awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, Moreno became the first Latina woman to have an “E.G.O.T.” In 2004, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her many contributions to the arts.
Gloria Steinem
From her humble Ohio childhood, Gloria Steinem grew up to become an acclaimed journalist, trailblazing feminist, and one of the most visible, passionate leaders and spokeswomen of the women’s rights movement in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.