An original bill to authorize the awarding of special congressional gold medals to the daughter of Harry S Truman, to Lady Bird Johnson, and to Elie Wiesel.
PL 98-278 (S.2597), enacted 05/08/1984

PUBLIC LAW 98-278—MAY 8, 1984 
98 STAT. 173 
Public Law 98-278 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To authorize the awarding of special congressional gold medals to the daughter of 
Harry S Truman, to Lady Bird Johnson, and to Elie Wiesel. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of 
America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. (a) The President is authorized to present, on behalf of 
the Congress, to Margaret Truman Daniel, a gold medal of appropri-
ate design, in recognition of the lifetime of outstanding public 
service which her father, Harry S Truman, gave to the United 
States, and in commemoration of his one hundredth birthday which 
will be celebrated on May 8,1984. 
(b) For purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause to be struck a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 
the Secretary. 
(c) There are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $25,000 
for fiscal year 1985 to carry out the provisions of this section. 
(dXl) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in 
bronze of the medal provided for in this section to be coined and sold 
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price 
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, 
use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the gold medal. 
(2) The appropriation used to carry out the provisions of this 
section shall be reimbursed out of the proceeds of such sales. 
SEC. 2. (a) The Congress finds and declares that— 
(1) Lady Bird Johnson represents the finest qualities of Amer-
ican women, having demonstrated exceptional abilities in the 
fields of government, business, and social justice; 
(2) Lady Bird Johnson's life of service to the Nation covers a 
generation of change in the status of women; 
(3) the intelligence and devotion of Lady Bird Johnson to the 
concerns of the family, natural resources, and education have 
eased the transition of the roles of women and benefited the 
Nation; 
(4) Lady Bird Johnson, in her roles as wife of a United States 
Representative and Senator, First Lady of the United States, 
skilled businesswoman, and regent for the University of Texas, 
has served as an example of the bridge between the traditional 
role and the contemporary roles of women in the United States; 
and 
(5) Lady Bird Johnson has received national recognition with 
the presentation of many awards, including the George Foster 
Peabody Award, the Eleanor Roosevelt Golden Candlestick 
Award, the B'nai B'rith Humanitarian Award, the Business and 
Professional Women's Club Businesswomen's Award, the Ladies 
Home Journal Woman of the Year Award, the University of 
Texas Distinguished Alumni Award, the Department of the 
May 8, 1984 
[S. 2597] 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
98 STAT. 174 
PUBLIC LAW 98-278—MAY 8, 1984 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
Interior Conservation Service Award, and the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom. 
(b) The President is authorized to present, on behalf of the Con-
gress, to Lady Bird Johnson a gold medal of appropriate design, in 
recognition of her humanitarian efforts and outstanding contribu-
tions to the improvement and beautification of America. 
(c) For purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (b), 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause to be struck a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 
the Secretary of the Treasury. 
(d) There are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $25,000 
for fiscal year 1985 to carry out the provisions of this section. 
(e)(1) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in 
bronze of the medal provided for in this section to be coined and sold 
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price 
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, 
use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the gold medal. 
(2) The appropriation used to carry out the provisions of this 
section may be reimbursed out of the proceeds of such sales. 
SEC. 3. (a) The Congress finds and declares that— 
(1) Elie Wiesel is internationally esteemed for his accomplish-
ments as novelist, teacher, philosopher, critic, historian, hu-
manitarian, and distinguished citizen of the United States and 
the world; 
(2) the twenty-five published works of Elie Wiesel include 
novels, testimonies, short stories, and essays which fuse the 
richness of centuries-old religious traditions with the insights of 
modern philosophy; 
(3) the life and writings of Elie Wiesel have been the subject of 
at least eleven books and his work is taught in high schools, 
colleges, and universities throughout the United States; 
(4) Elie Wiesel in his role of "spiritual archivist of the Holo-
caust" encourages an understanding of the horrors of the past 
in order to offer humanity hope for a better and more secure 
future; 
(5) Elie Wiesel served with distinction as Chairman of the 
President's Commission on the Holocaust and as Chairman of 
the United States Holocaust Memorial Council; 
(6) Elie Wiesel has traveled, written, and worked for the cause 
of human rights in Biafra, Lebanon, Cambodia, the Soviet 
Union, and Central America; and 
(7) Elie Wiesel has received the International Literary Prize 
for Peace and the Prix Medicis, two of the most prestigious 
literary awards of Europe, and honorary degrees from twenty-
five universities of the United States and Israel. 
O
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) The President is authorized to present, on behalf of the Con-
gress, to Elie Wiesel a gold medal of appropriate design, in recogni-
tion of his humanitarian efforts and outstanding contributions to 
world literature and human rights. 
(c) For purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (b), 
the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause to be struck a gold medal 
with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by 
the Secretary of the Treasury. 
(d) There are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $25,000 
for fiscal year 1985 to carry out the provisions of this section. 
(e)(1) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in 
bronze of the medal provided for in this section to be coined and sold 
PUBLIC LAW 98-278—MAY 8, 1984 
98 STAT. 175 
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price 
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, 
use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the gold medal. 
(2) The appropriation used to carry out the provisions of this 
section may be reimbursed out of the proceeds of such sales. 
SEC. 4. The medals provided for in this Act are national medals for 
the purposes of section 5111 of title 31, United States Code. 
Approved May 8, 1984. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2597 (H.J. Res. 394) (H.R. 3614): 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 130 (1984): 
Mar. 13, H.J. Res. 394 and H.R. 3614 considered and passed House. 
Apr. 26, S. 2597 considered and passed Senate and House.