Oprah, 15 others given medals from Obama

WASHINGTON – Oprah Winfery and 15 others got a medals Wednesday at the White House.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established 50 years ago by President John F. Kennedy, is the nation’s highest civilian honor. The medal has been presented to more than 500 individuals who have made especially “meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

In a ceremony at the White House Wednesday, President Obama added 16 names to that distinguished list.

Recipients of the 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom included sports champions and scientists, musicians and civil rights leaders, activists and journalists, media moguls and public servants, the White House said.

“Oprah G. Winfrey is a global media icon,” the President said.  “When she launched The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, there were few women — and even fewer women of color — with a national platform to discuss the issues and events shaping our times.  But over the 25 years that followed, Oprah Winfrey’s innate gift for tapping into our most fervent hopes and deepest fears drew millions of viewers across every background, making her show the highest-rated talk show in television history.”

The honorees were: Ernie Banks, Ben Bradlee, former President Bill Clinton, Daniel Inouye (posthumous), Daniel Kahneman, Richard Lugar, Loretta Lynn, Mario Molina, Sally Ride (posthumous), Bayard Rustin (posthumous), Arturo Sandoval, Dean Smith, Gloria Steinem, Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian, Patricia Wald, and Oprah Winfrey.