President Obama Awards The Medal of Freedom

Today, the White House held the "Medal of Freedom" ceremony, in which the President presented the highest civilian honor to the 2011 recipients. The nation's 41st President, George H.W. Bush, received the award today at the age of 87. He was not alone.

Among those honored were people who played significant roles in shaping American or global history and culture. Only one is deceased — Tom Little, a humanitarian who was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan as he helped provide vision care to people there.

Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, was honored by Mr. Obama for being what he called “an inspiration” to people around the world. She did not attend the ceremony, but Mr. Obama said he would present the award to her on her next visit to Washington.

The rest received their awards in person Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Obama lauded Stan Musial, the baseball legend, by recounting his becoming the first athlete to make $100,000 a year. “Even more shocking,” the president said, “he asked for a pay cut when he didn’t perform up to his own expectations. You can imagine that happening today.”

The president honored Bill Russell, the legendary Boston Celtics basketball player, as “someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men,” and the poet Maya Angelou as a “voice that has spoken to millions.”

Among those to receive the award Tuesday from Mr. Obama was one of the world’s richest men, Warren E. Buffett. But the president also lauded those who have worked on behalf of equality for the poor and struggling, including and John J. Sweeney, who for more than a decade led the A.F.L-C.I.O., and Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia, who helped lead the civil rights movement in America.

“Time and again, he faced down death so that all of us could share equally,” Mr. Obama said of Mr. Lewis, whom he called “the conscience of the Congress.”

In addition, the medal went to Yo-Yo Ma, one of the world’s best cellists; Sylvia Mendez, a civil rights activist of Mexican descent; Jean Kennedy Smith, the sister of the former president and the former ambassador to Ireland; Gerda Weissmann Klein, a Holocaust survivor; Jasper Johns, the American artist; and John H. Adams, who co-founded the environmental group National Resources Defense Council.

For more information, Rep. Lewis put out a statement.