Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Biden named Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton among 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, at a January 4 White House ceremony. The Medal of Freedom is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”

Clinton–a professor of international and public affairs at SIPA and chair of the Institute of Global Politics (IGP) Faculty Advisory Board–has spent five decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, US Senator, US Secretary of State, and the first woman nominated for president by a major US political party. She joined SIPA’s faculty in February 2023 and coteaches, with SIPA dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, the popular course Inside the Situation Room. 

Watch the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony here: