The late Sen. Daniel Inouye will be one of 16 Americans, including President Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey, who will be honored next week in a White House ceremony by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The ceremony on Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the executive order signed by President John F. Kennedy establishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The other honorees include Ernie Banks, who during his 19 seasons with the Chicago Cubs played in 11 All-Star Games, hit more than 500 home runs and became the first National League player to win Most Valuable Player honors in back-to-back years.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility.
The medal also will be awarded to former Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee; retired Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, who served for more than 30 years; country singer Loretta Lynn; Sally Ride, the first female astronaut, who died last year; jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval; and feminist and publisher Gloria Steinem.
In making the announcement, the White House said the Medal of Freedom is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Since it was created in 1963, more than 500 individuals have received the honor.
"The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours," Obama said. "This year’s honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world. It will be my honor to present them with a token of our nation’s gratitude."
The medal is one of many tributes to Inouye since his death Dec. 17 at the age of 88.
Inouye began serving in the U.S. Senate in 1963 and died in office.
On Veterans Day the U.S. Postal Service unveiled World War II Medal of Honor "Forever" stamps — "paying tribute on Veterans Day and every day going forward to the 464 American veterans, including Inouye, who received the nation’s highest military honor for going above and beyond the call of duty during the Second World War," a press release said.
Earlier this month Matson Inc. announced that one of two new container ships to be completed within five years will be named after Inouye.
And the University of Hawaii plans to name four buildings or programs across its campuses after the late senator: the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education at the flagship Manoa campus; the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at UH-Hilo; the Daniel K. Inouye Allied Health Center at UH-Maui College; and the Daniel K. Inouye Electronics Technology Building at Kauai Community College.
Inouye’s congressional papers will be stored at a new $27.5 million Inouye library which will be built on the UH-Manoa campus.
Other tributes to the late senator include naming the following after him:
» The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration’s regional headquarters on Ford Island, which will house NOAA offices for the weather service, tsunami warning center, fisheries, sanctuaries, marine operations and enforcement.
» An Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, which will be sailing by mid-2018.
» The Kilauea Point Lighthouse on Kauai.
