List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients

This is a list of notable Puerto Ricans who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The list includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican ancestry such as Pablo Casals, whose mother was Puerto Rican and Chita Rivera, whose father was Puerto Rican. It also includes other residents or immigrants of other ethnic heritages who have made Puerto Rico their home, and who are recognized for their life or work.

Puerto Rican recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presented by

President of the United States

Nine Puerto Ricans have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with the comparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States. It recognizes those 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".[1][2] Former governor Luis A. Ferré and his sister Isolina Ferré are the only pair of Puerto Rican brother and sister to have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente was also the posthumous recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Citizens Medal.

Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

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The following people are the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom:[2]

Name Year awarded Occupation
 

Pablo Casals
(Puerto Rican mother)
1963 Cellist and Conductor
 

Luis Muñoz Marín
1963
(with Distinction)
Governor of Puerto Rico
 

Luis A. Ferré
1991 Governor of Puerto Rico
Antonia Pantojas 1996 Educator, social worker,
feminist, civil rights leader

Isolina Ferré
(sister of recipient Luis A. Ferré)
1999 Roman Catholic nun
 

Roberto Clemente
(USMC picture)
2003
(posthumously)
Baseball Hall of Famer
 

Rita Moreno
2004 Actress
 

Chita Rivera
2009 Actress, dancer, and singer
 

Sylvia Mendez
2011 Civil Rights activist
Felicitas Mendez 2011
(posthumously)
Civil Rights activist

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Executive Order 9586, signed July 6, 1945; Federal Register 10 FR 8523, July 10, 1945
  2. ^ a b Presidential Medal of Freedom