President Obama participated in an event honoring the 13 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in an East Room ceremony at the White House.
The Medal of Freedom is America's highest civilian honor and recognizes exceptional meritorious service. It was created in 1963 by Former President John F. Kennedy through an Executive Order.
The following individuals received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at Tuesday's ceremony:
Madeleine Albright - 64th U.S. Secretary of State, the first woman to hold that position
John Doar - Former Justice Department official that led federal efforts to protect and enforce civil rights during the 1960s
Bob Dylan - Influential American musician
William Foege - Physician and epidemiologist that lead the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s
John Glenn - Former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut and United States Senator
Gordon Hirabayashi - He openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
Dolores Huerta - Notable human right activist and co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962
Jan Karski - Officer in the Polish Underground during World War II and carried among the first eye-witness accounts of the Holocaust to the world
Juliette Gordon Low - Founded the Girl Scouts in 1912
Toni Morrison - Celebrated American novelist
Shimon Peres - Advocate for Israel's security and for peace
John Paul Stevens - Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010
Pat Summitt - All-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history