Alvin Ailey (posthumous)
Ailey was a choreographer, dancer, and the founder of the Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater, which is renowned for its inspiring performances in 71
countries on 6 continents since 1958. Ailey's work was groundbreaking in its
exploration of the African American experience and the enrichment of the modern
dance tradition, including his beloved American masterpiece Revelations. The
Ailey organization, based in New York City, carries on his pioneering legacy
with performances, training, educational, and community programs for people of
all backgrounds.
Isabel Allende Isabel Allende is a highly
acclaimed author of 21 books that have sold 65 million copies in 35 languages.
She has been recognized with numerous awards internationally. She received the
prestigious National Literary Award in Chile, her country of origin, and is a
member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Tom Brokaw Tom
Brokaw is one of America's most trusted and respected journalists. Mr. Brokaw
served as anchor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004, and is currently a
Special Correspondent for NBC News. For decades, Mr. Brokaw has reached millions
of Americans in living rooms across the country to provide depth and analysis to
historic moments as they unfold, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the
terrorist attacks of 9-11. His reporting has been recognized by the Edward R.
Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University
Awards, eleven Emmys, and two Peabody awards. Mr. Brokaw previously served as
anchor of NBC's Today, and following the death of his close friend Tim Russert,
Mr. Brokaw took over Meet the Press during the 2008 campaign season. He has
written five books including The Greatest Generation, a title that gave name to
those who served in World War II at home and abroad.
James Chaney, Andrew
Goodman, and Michael Schwerner (posthumous) James Chaney, Andrew Goodman,
and Michael Schwerner were civil rights activists and participants in “Freedom
Summer,” an historic voter registration drive in 1964. As African Americans were
systematically being blocked from voter rolls, Mr. Chaney, Mr. Goodman, and Mr.
Schwerner joined hundreds of others working to register black voters in
Mississippi. They were murdered at the outset of Freedom Summer. Their deaths
shocked the nation and their efforts helped to inspire many of the landmark
civil rights advancements that followed.
Mildred Dresselhaus Mildred Dresselhaus is one of the most prominent physicists, materials
scientists, and electrical engineers of her generation. A professor of physics
and electrical engineering at MIT, she is best known for deepening our
understanding of condensed matter systems and the atomic properties of carbon,
which has contributed to major advances in electronics and materials research.
John Dingell John Dingell is a lifelong public servant, the longest
serving Member of Congress in American history, and one of the most influential
legislators in history. Having represented Michigan in the House of
Representatives since 1955, Mr. Dingell has fought for landmark pieces of
legislation over the past six decades, from civil rights legislation in the
1960s, to legislation protecting our environment in the 1970s, to his
persistent, determined fight for health care throughout his career, from
Medicare to the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Dingell also served in the U.S. Army
during World War II.
Ethel Kennedy Ethel Kennedy has dedicated her
life to advancing the cause of social justice, human rights, environmental
protection, and poverty reduction by creating countless ripples of hope to
effect change around the world. Over 45 years ago, she founded the Robert F.
Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, which is dedicated to realizing her
husband's dream of a more just and peaceful world. Ethel Kennedy was most
recently honored for her longtime advocacy of environmental causes in neglected
areas of Washington, D.C. with the dedication of the “Ethel Kennedy Bridge” over
the Anacostia River.
Suzan Harjo Suzan Harjo is a writer, curator,
and activist who has advocated for improving the lives of Native peoples
throughout her career. As a member of the Carter Administration and as current
president of the Morning Star Institute, she has been a key figure in many
important Indian legislative battles, including the passage of the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the American Indian
Religious Freedom Act. Dr. Harjo is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee, and a
citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
Abner Mikva Abner
Mikva is a dedicated public servant who has served with distinction in all three
branches of government. He was a five-term Congressman from Illinois, Chief
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and White House
Counsel for President Bill Clinton. He has also served as a law professor at
Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of
Illinois.
Patsy Takemoto Mink Patsy Takemoto Mink was a
Congresswoman from Hawai'i, serving a total of 12 terms. She was born and raised
on Maui, became the first Japanese American female attorney in Hawai'i, and
served in the Hawai'i territorial and state legislatures beginning in 1956. In
1964, she became the first woman of color elected to Congress. She is best known
for co-authoring and championing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Edward Roybal (posthumous) Edward R. Roybal was the first
Mexican-American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from
California in nearly a century. In 1976, he founded the Congressional Hispanic
Caucus and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials,
creating a national forum for Latino issues and opening doors for a new
generation of Latino leaders.
Charles Sifford Charles Sifford was
a professional golfer who helped to desegregate the Professional Golfers'
Association, despite harassment and death threats. He started his life on the
links as a caddy, and though he was formally excluded from the PGA for much of
his career because of the color of his skin, he won six National Negro Opens. In
1960, he won his challenge over the PGA's “Caucasian only” membership policy. He
went on to win official PGA events and the PGA Seniors' Championship. He was
inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and received an honorary doctor
of laws degree from the University of St. Andrews in 2006.
Robert Solow
Robert Solow is one of the most widely respected economists of the past
sixty years. His research in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s transformed the field,
laying the groundwork for much of modern economics. He continues to influence
policy makers, demonstrating how smart investments, especially in new
technology, can build broad-based prosperity, and he continues to actively
participate in contemporary debates about inequality and economic growth. He is
a Nobel laureate, winning the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1987.
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Sondheim is one of the country's most
influential theater composers and lyricists. His work has helped define American
theater with shows such as Company, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with
George, and Into the Woods. Mr. Sondheim has won eight Grammy Awards, eight Tony
Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is one of the most widely known and acclaimed actors in
history. Ms. Streep has captured our imaginations with her unparalleled ability
to portray a wide range of roles and attract an audience that has only grown
over time, portraying characters who embody the full range of the human
experience. She holds the record for most Academy Award nominations of any actor
in history.
Marlo Thomas Marlo Thomas is an award-winning actress,
producer, best-selling author and social activist. Whether championing equality
for girls and women, giving voice to the less fortunate, breaking barriers by
portraying one of television's first single working women on That Girl, or
teaching children to be “Free to Be You and Me,” Thomas inspires us all to dream
bigger and reach higher. Thomas serves as National Outreach Director for St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital, a pediatric treatment and research facility
focused on pediatric cancer and children's catastrophic diseases. The hospital
was founded by her father, Danny Thomas, in 1962.
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder is one of the world's most gifted singer-songwriters. Mr. Wonder
has created a sound entirely his own, mixing rhythm and blues with genres
ranging from rock and roll to reggae, and demonstrating his mastery of a range
of instruments, styles, and themes. He is also a Kennedy Center Honoree, a
member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and winner of 25 Grammys and an
Academy Award.
