| James Cardinal Gibbons Medal | |
| Awarded For: | Distinguished and meritorious service to the Roman Catholic Church, the United States of America, or The Catholic University of America |
| Presenter: | Catholic University of America Alumni Association |
| Country: | United States |
| Year: | 1949 |
The James Cardinal Gibbons Medal is named in honor James Cardinal Gibbons, the founder and first chancellor of The Catholic University of America. It is intended to honor any person who, in the opinion of the university's Alumni Association's board of governors, has rendered distinguished and meritorious service to the Roman Catholic Church, the United States of America, or The Catholic University of America.
Winners include Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, Senator John F. Kennedy, Speaker John W. McCormack, Sargent Shriver, Nancy Reagan, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Sister Helen Prejean, and Ronan Tynan.
The Gibbons Medal is conferred by the university president on behalf of the CUA Alumni Association during the alumni awards ceremony. John F. Kennedy was awarded the medal while still a senator, upon the nomination of Eddie Pryzbyla, a future winner himself.
| Year | Awardee | Background | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Gary Sinise | Actor, veterans advocate | |
| 2016 | None awarded | ||
| 2015 | Timothy Shriver | CEO of the Special Olympics | |
| 2014 | None awarded | ||
| 2013 | Sr. Mary Scullion, RSM | Activist, co-founder of Philadelphia's Project H.O.M.E. | |
| 2012 | Kevin Ryan | President of Covenant House International | |
| 2011 | None awarded | ||
| 2010 | Sr. Alice Zachman, SSND | Human rights advocate in Guatemala | |
| 2009 | Ronan Tynan | Irish singer, Paralympic athlete | |
| 2008 | Kenneth Hackett | President of Catholic Relief Services | |
| 2007 | None awarded | ||
| 2006 | |||
| 2005 | Darrell Green | American football player, founder of the Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation | |
| 2004 | Gen. Barry McCaffrey | United States Army general, national security consultant | |
| 2003 | Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ | ||
| 2002 | Aaron Neville | Four time-Grammy Award-winning vocalist | |
| 2001 | Cardinal Avery Dulles | Jesuit priest, theologian, and Catholic cardinal | |
| 2000 | William H. Graham Sr. | Former Catholic University of America faculty member | |
| 1999 | Kathryn J. DuFour | First female judge in the Maryland Circuit Courts and CUA benefactor | |
| 1998 | Lindy Boggs | US Representative from Louisiana and United States Ambassador to the Holy See | |
| 1997 | Henry Hyde | US Representative from Illinois | |
| Br. Patrick Ellis, FSC | De La Salle Christian Brother and president of the Catholic University of America | ||
| 1996 | Cardinal James Hickey | Former Archbishop of Washington, DC and chancellor of the Catholic University of America | |
| 1995 | Robert P. Casey | Former Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| 1994 | Antonin Scalia | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Richard W. Galiher Sr. | Attorney and CUA benefactor | ||
| 1993 | Edward J. Pryzbyla | President, Edwards Enterprises, alumnus, benefactor | |
| 1992 | George J. Quinn | Chairman, Alton Engineering, alumnus, benefactor | |
| 1991 | William J. Byron | President, The Catholic University of America | |
| 1990 | Executive Vice President, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, Founding Chairwoman, Special Olympics International | ||
| 1989 | William D. Borders | Retired Archbishop of Baltimore | |
| 1988 | Edward Bennett Williams | Attorney | |
| 1988 | Admiral James D. Watkins | Former Chief of Naval Operations, former secretary of energy, former chairman of Reagan's HIV Task Force | |
| 1987 | Philip M. Hannan | Archbishop of New Orleans, alumnus | |
| 1986 | Nancy Reagan | Former First Lady of the United States of America | |
| 1985 | Mildred Fay Jefferson | M.D., surgeon and pro-life leader | |
| 1985 | Gilbert V. Hartke | Chairman Emeritus, The Catholic University of America Drama Department, alumnus | |
| 1984 | Bruce Ritter | Founder, Covenant House | |
| 1983 | None Awarded. | ||
| 1982 | Raymond A. DuFour | president and chairman of the board, DuFour Enterprises, Inc., alumnus, benefactor | |
| 1981 | John Tracy Ellis | Church historian, alumnus | |
| 1980 | J. Peter Grace | Chief Executive Officer, W.R. Grace Co. | |
| 1980 | William Cardinal Baum | Prefect, Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome, former chancellor of The Catholic University of America | |
| 1979 | Terence Cardinal Cooke | Archbishop of New York, alumnus | |
| 1978 | Clarence C. Walton | President, The Catholic University of America, alumnus | |
| 1977 | Benjamin T. Rome | Chairman of the board, Hyman Construction Company, alumnus, benefactor | |
| 1976 | Lawrence Cardinal Shehan | Archbishop of Baltimore | |
| 1975 | John J. Sirica | Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | |
| 1974 | Michael Mansfield | U.S. Senator | |
| 1973 | Helen Hayes | Actress | |
| 1972 | Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle | Archbishop of Washington and chancellor of the university | |
| 1971 | James Walsh | Superior General, Maryknoll Fathers | |
| 1970 | Dr. Carroll Hochwalt | Former chairman, The Catholic University of America, Board of trustees | |
| 1969 | Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. | President, University of Notre Dame, alumnus | |
| 1968 | Danny Thomas | Entertainer | |
| 1967 | James J. Norris | Assistant to the executive director, Catholic Relief Services | |
| 1966 | Earl Warren | Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court | |
| 1965 | Sargent Shriver | Director, Peace Corps | |
| 1964 | John A. McCone | Director, Central Intelligence Agency | |
| 1963 | John W. McCormack | Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives | |
| 1962 | Luke Edward Hart | Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus | |
| 1961 | Charles G. Fenwick | Director, Legal Affairs, Organization of American States | |
| 1960 | Karl F. Herzfeld | Physicist | |
| 1959 | General Alfred Gruenther | Past President, American Red Cross | |
| 1958 | Thomas E. Murray | Consultant, Atomic Energy Commission | |
| 1957 | Bryan J. McEntegart | Bishop of Brooklyn | |
| 1956 | Ignatius Smith, O.P. | Dean, The Catholic University of America School of Philosophy | |
| 1956 | John F. Kennedy | U.S. Senator (MA) (Later President of the United States of America) | |
| 1955 | General Lawton Collins | Chief of Staff, U.S. Army | |
| 1954 | J. Edgar Hoover | Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| 1953 | |||
| 1951 | Fulton Oursler | Author, senior editor, Reader's Digest | |
| 1950 | General Carlos Romulo | Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines | |
| 1949 | Carlton J. H. Hayes | Professor, historian, publicist | |