Presidential Medal of Freedom

thumb|300px|Joan Ganz Cooney receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an accolade awarded by the President of the United States to recognize individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy as the highest honor awarded to a civilian.
Joan Ganz Cooney received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony held at The White House on September 29, 1995. Cooney was recognized as the founder of Children's Television Workshop, an organization responsible for producing educational television programming (including Sesame Street) that President Bill Clinton acknowledged had "enlightened, not only our youngsters, but older people as well." In his speech, Clinton cited characters such as Cookie Monster and Big Bird who contributed to helping "teach a generation of children to count, to read, and to think. They also teach us more about how we should live together." He continued, "We all know that Grover and Kermit reinforce, rather than undermine, the values we work so hard to teach our children, showing kids every day what it means to share, to respect differences and to recognize that it's not easy being green."
During the official reading of Cooney's accolades for the award, she was further recognized for providing "young people with the knowledge and moral guidance they need to make the most of their lives," and for inspiring a "generation of children with a common love for learning, tolerance, and cooperation." She and the President were joined by First Lady Hillary Clinton for the bestowment of the medal itself on her person, which Cooney accepted with earnest gratitude.
Cooney later had her medal encased in glass for display at the Sesame Workshop offices.ToughPigs Forum September 30, 2021
==Connections==
Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with direct connections to the Muppets include:
* Bob Hope
* Buzz Aldrin
* Arthur Fiedler
* Beverly Sills
* Walter Cronkite
* Danny Kaye
* Pearl Bailey
* Betty Ford
* Johnny Carson
* Isaac Stern
* Arthur Ashe
* Gerald R. Ford
* Jesse Jackson
* Bill Cosby
* Plácido Domingo
* Fred Rogers
* Julia Child
* Charlton Heston
* Rita Moreno
* Carol Burnett
* Aretha Franklin
* B.B. King
* Anthony Fauci
* Stephen Hawking
* Desmond Tutu	
* Maya Angelou
* George H. W. Bush
* Yo-Yo Ma
* Bill Clinton
* Loretta Lynn
* Sally Ride
* Gloria Steinem
* Oprah Winfrey
* Tom Brokaw
* Ethel Kennedy
* Meryl Streep
* Marlo Thomas
* Stevie Wonder
* Steven Spielberg
* Gloria Estefan
* Itzhak Perlman
* James Taylor
* Shirley Chisholm
* Robert De Niro
* Tom Hanks
* Diana Ross
* Lorne Michaels
* Ellen DeGeneres
* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
* Joe Biden
==Sources==
==External links==
* C-Span coverage, full ceremony
* Ceremony transcript from the Clinton White House archives
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Category:Awards