On Monday night, United States Senator John McCain received 29th annual Liberty Medal for his lifetime of sacrifice and service in an event hosted by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Vice President Joe Biden, Chair of the National Constitution Center’s Board of Trustees, bestowed the award to his longtime friend at the outdoor ceremony.
The Liberty Medal is awarded annually by the National Constitution Center to men and women of courage and conviction who have strived to secure the blessings of liberty to people the world over. The Medal’s roster of recipients includes many of the men, women, and organizations that have shaped and guided the world through the past two decades, including Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Kofi Annan, Shimon Peres, and Colin Powell.
The medal was first administered by the National Constitution Center in 2006, when Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were honored for their bipartisan humanitarian efforts on behalf of the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the hurricanes on the Gulf Coast. Seven recipients of the medal have subsequently won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Also taking part in the ceremony were Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz, University of Pennsylvania President Dr. Amy Gutmann, National Constitution Center President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Rosen, and The United States Naval Academy Glee Club.
