duced some of America’s greatest sports memories, 
from winning a gold medal at the 1960 Summer 
Olympics to lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 
Summer Olympics. 
(3) After an impressive amateur career, during 
which he recorded 131 wins and only 7 losses and 
won 2 National AAU light heavyweight titles, Mu-
hammad Ali became the first professional boxer in 
history to capture the heavyweight title 3 separate 
times. 
(4) Muhammad Ali defeated every challenger he 
faced in the ring. But, on April 28, 1967, he was 
stripped of his boxing title and barred from com-
peting for being a conscientious objector to the war 
in Vietnam on religious and moral grounds. How-
ever, following a unanimous United States Supreme 
Court decision in 1971, Muhammad Ali’s conscien-
tious objector status was confirmed, his boxing li-
cense was reinstated, and he was cleared of any 
wrongdoing. 
(5) As an African-American and a Muslim liv-
ing in an era that continued to question his civil 
rights, Muhammad Ali battled issues of race and re-
ligion, and has received recognition as one of the 
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champions of the Civil Rights Movement in the 
United States. 
(6) Muhammad Ali is the recipient of many 
awards for his sporting prowess and his support of 
racial harmony, including the Dr. Martin Luther 
King Memorial Award, the Spirit of America Award, 
the Amnesty International Lifetime Achievement 
Award, the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Es-
sence Living Legend Award, the Rainbow Coalition 
Lifetime Achievement Award, the XNBA Human 
Spirit Award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, and 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 
(7) Muhammad Ali has been acknowledged by 
many organizations for his achievements both inside 
and outside the boxing ring, including being crowned 
‘‘Sportsman of the Century’’ by Sports Illustrated, 
being named ‘‘Athlete of the Century’’ by GQ maga-
zine, being named ‘‘Sports Personality of the Cen-
tury’’ by the British Broadcasting Corporation, 
being named ‘‘Kentucky Athlete of the Century’’ by 
the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, being named 
‘‘Kentuckian of the Century’’ by the State of Ken-
tucky, being named ‘‘Louisvillian of the Century’’ by 
the Advertising Club of Louisville, being named 
‘‘Boxer of the Century’’ by the World Sports Awards 
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of the Century, being recognized by the Inter-
national Boxing Hall of Fame, and receiving hon-
orary doctorate degrees from Muhlenberg College 
and Western Kentucky University, as well as an 
honorary doctorate of humanities at Princeton Uni-
versity’s 260th graduation ceremony. 
(8) Muhammad Ali received the prestigious 
‘‘Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold’’ from the United 
Nations Association of Germany for his work with 
the United Nations and the Civil Rights Movement 
in the United States. 
(9) Muhammad Ali was selected by the Cali-
fornia Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Con-
stitution to personify the vitality of the Bill of 
Rights in various high-profile activities. 
(10) Despite having been diagnosed with Par-
kinson’s Syndrome in the early 1980s, Muhammad 
Ali has dedicated his life to the cause of universal 
human rights and freedom. His commitment to 
equal justice and peace has touched the lives of hun-
dreds of thousands of people worldwide. 
(11) President Jimmy Carter asked Muhammad 
Ali to meet with African leaders in Tanzania, Kenya, 
Nigeria, Liberia, and Senegal as part of President 
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Carter’s diplomatic efforts on behalf of human rights 
in the 1980s. 
(12) In 1990, Muhammad Ali traveled to the 
Middle East to seek the release of American and 
British hostages that were being held as human 
shields in the first Gulf War. As a result of his 
intervention, 15 United States hostages were freed 
on December 2nd of that year. 
(13) In 1998, Muhammad Ali was chosen as 
the ‘‘U.N. Messenger of Peace’’. 
(14) Several Presidents of the United States 
have recognized Muhammad Ali, including President 
George W. Bush who, on November 17, 2002, called 
him ‘‘a man of peace’’ and stated that ‘‘across the 
world, billions of people know Muhammad Ali as a 
brave, compassionate, and charming man, and the 
American people are proud to call Muhammad Ali 
one of our own,’’ President Bill Clinton who stated 
that Muhammad Ali ‘‘captured the world’s imagina-
tion and its heart. Outside the ring, Muhammad Ali 
has dedicated his life to working for children, feed-
ing the hungry, supporting his faith, and standing 
up for racial equality. He has always fought for a 
just and more humane world, breaking down bar-
riers here in America and around the world. There 
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are no telling how many tens of millions of people 
had their hearts swell with pride and their eyes swell 
with tears in 1996 when Muhammad Ali lit the 
Olympic torch, because we know, now and forever, 
he is the greatest,’’ President Jimmy Carter who 
cited Muhammad Ali as ‘‘Mr. International Friend-
ship,’’ and President Barack Obama who, as a Sen-
ator, had a framed picture of Muhammad Ali hang-
ing in his office, and before announcing his inten-
tions to run for President, Obama visited with Mu-
hammad Ali at the Ali Center in Louisville, Ken-
tucky. 
(15) Muhammad Ali continues to encourage hu-
manity through his perseverance and the support of 
thousands of people. He has helped such organiza-
tions as the Chicago-based adoption agency, The 
Cradle; the Make-A-Wish Foundation; the Special 
Olympics’ organization, Best Buddies; and Herbert 
E. Birch Services, an organization that runs a 
school for handicapped children and young adults, in 
addition to a summer camp for children infected 
with AIDS. 
(16) Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie are 
founding directors of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson 
Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and have helped raise 
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