| Puerto Rican recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom | |
| Presenter: | President of the United States |
This is a list of notable Puerto Ricans who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The list includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican ancestry such as Pablo Casals, whose mother was Puerto Rican and Chita Rivera, whose father was Puerto Rican. It also includes other residents or immigrants of other ethnic heritages who have made Puerto Rico their home, and who are recognized for their life or work.
Nine Puerto Ricans have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with the comparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States. It recognizes those individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors".[1] [2] Former governor Luis A. Ferré and his sister Isolina Ferré are the only pair of Puerto Rican brother and sister to have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente was also the posthumous recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Citizens Medal.
The following people are the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom:[2]
| Name | Year awarded | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
Pablo Casals (Puerto Rican mother) | 1963 | Cellist and Conductor |
Luis Muñoz Marín | 1963 (with Distinction) | Governor of Puerto Rico |
Luis A. Ferré | 1991 | Governor of Puerto Rico |
| Antonia Pantojas | 1996 | Educator, social worker, feminist, civil rights leader |
Isolina Ferré (sister of recipient Luis A. Ferré) | 1999 | Roman Catholic nun |
Roberto Clemente (USMC picture) | 2003 (posthumously) | Baseball Hall of Famer |
Rita Moreno | 2004 | Actress |
Chita Rivera | 2009 | Actress, dancer, and singer |
Sylvia Mendez | 2011 | Civil Rights activist |
| Felicitas Mendez | 2011 (posthumously) | Civil Rights activist |