The Presidential Medal of Freedom
Introduction by Caroline Bautista
With Words from the President's Remarks Spoken
at the 2016 Awards Ceremony
Cmdr. Howard H. Aiken, Lt. Grace Hopper, and Ensign Campbell with section of Mark I computer, Harvard University News Office photograph, 8/4/1944. Harvard University Archives.
In the announcement of the 2016 recipients, then President Obama said:
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor—it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better.
Originating as a ceremony to honor military achievements in the 1940s and reinstated in 1963 by Kennedy as a civilian honor, an eclectic mix of recipients sit together each year in a small, crowded room at the request of the United States President. The careers of the recipients below, as summarized by Former President Obama's remarks, provide pathways to archives and collections that reflect aspects of American culture so essential they are practically hidden.
Grace Hopper, 1906 - 1992
Born in 1906, Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper followed her mother into mathematics, earned her PhD from Yale, and set out on a long and storied career. At age 37, and a full 15 pounds below military guidelines, the gutsy and colorful Grace joined the Navy and was sent to work on one of the first computers, Harvard's "Mark One."
She saw beyond the boundaries of the possible, and invented the first compiler, which allowed programs to be written in regular language and then translated for computers to understand. While the women who pioneered software were often overlooked, the most prestigious award for young computer scientists now bear her name. From cell phones to cyber command, we can thank Grace Hopper for opening programming to millions more people, helping to usher in the information age and profoundly shaping our digital world.
Image (R) - Three images relating to the development of the Mark I computer with Grace Hopper seated at calculator, Harvard University News Office photographs, 8/4/1944. Harvard University.
Housed in Harvard University Archives
A manual of operation for the automatic sequence controlled calculator from 1946
Voice of America interviews with eight American women of achievement
Eduardo Pedron speaking with students. From the Miami Dade College Archives Photo Collection.
Archival Collections
Miami Dade College has grown its archives to house both the Miami Dade College Photo Archives collection and a large moving image collection that reflects its community.
Search for his and other immigrant stories in the Immigrant Archive Project.
Eduardo Padrón, 1944 -
In the early 1960s, thousands of Cuban children fled to America, seeking an education they'd never get back home. And one refugee was 15-year-old named Eduardo Padrón, whose life changed when he enrolled at Miami Dade College. That decision led to a bachelor's degree, then a Master's degree, then a PhD, and then he had a choice—he could go into corporate America, or he could give back to his alma mater. And Eduardo made his choice—to create more stories just like his.
As Miami Dade's President since 1995, Dr. Padrón has built a "dream factory" for one of our nation's most diverse student bodies—165,000 students in all. He's one of the world's preeminent education leaders—thinking out of the box, supporting students throughout their lives, embodying the belief that we're only as great as the doors we open. Eduardo's example is one we all can follow—a champion for those who strive for the same American Dream that first drew him to our shores.
Elouise Cobell. Photo: Courtesy of Fire in the Belly Productions
Elouise Cobell, 1945 - 2011
When Elouise Cobell first filed a lawsuit to recover lands and money for her people, she didn't set out to be a hero. She said, "I just wanted…to give justice to people that didn't have it." And her lifelong quest to address the mismanagement of American Indian lands, resources, and trust funds wasn't about special treatment, but the equal treatment at the heart of the American promise. She fought for almost 15 years—across three Presidents, seven trials, 10 appearances before a federal appeals court. All the while, she traveled the country some 40 weeks a year, telling the story of her people.
And in the end, this graduate of a one-room schoolhouse became a MacArthur Genius. She is a proud daughter of Montana's Blackfeet Nation. Reached ultimately a historic victory for all Native Americans. Through sheer force of will and a belief that the truth will win out, Elouise Cobell overcame the longest odds, reminding us that fighting for what is right is always worth it.
Archival Collections and Resources
The Montana Memory Project, a partnership of Montana libraries, museums, archives, and schools, offers documents on the Cobell settlement, tribal newspaper archives through the Fort Peck's Tribal Library, and historic images of Blackfeet Nation people and land.
National Indian Law Library Archives
Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums
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