Female Congressional Gold Medal Recipients
Originally the Congressional Medal was intended only for those serving in a war, but it was later decided to make it available to anyone. All Gold Medal legislation must be agreed upon by at least two-thirds of all House Members.
Each recipient has received this Congressional Gold Medal of appreciation in recognition of her major contribution, to society. Some have been awarded posthumously.
The first two females to receive this honor were Margaret Aldrich and Anna Bouligny on June 20, 1938. These women courageously traveled to Puerto Rico, during the Spanish War, and administered medical aid to the injured.
It was 44 years before a second female received the medal. On March 22nd 1982, Queen Beatrix I of the Netherlands was given the award because of friendly diplomatic and trade relations between our two countries.
The next female Congressional Gold Medal recipient was Lady Bird Johnson. She received it in 1984, along with her husband, the President. She was awarded this honor for various humanitarian efforts and all that she did to help beautify the nation.
Avital Shcharansky was given the medal on May 13th 1986 because of her involvement with Middle Eastern human rights and democracy. Her husband, Anatoly, received the same honor.
Mary Lasker was the next female Gold Medal recipient. She received hers on Christmas Eve, in 1987. She is well known for numerous medical contributions and achievements. Some of these include: cancer research and the creation of the National Cancer Institute, working with those afflicted with Cerebral Palsy and vast heart disease research.
Ruth Graham, along with husband Reverend Billy Graham, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on February 13th 1996. She was granted this honor for her contributions to religion, family, racial equality, morality and philanthropy.
Mother Teresa, of Calcutta, received her medal in the summer of 1997. She, of course, was selected as a recipient because of all of her humanitarian work in the poorest sections of India. She taught many to read and write.
Betty Ford was given this honorable, gold medal in 1998. She was recognized for her faithful service to the people of this great United States. Her husband, President Gerald Ford, received the same honor.
Rosa Parks was the next female Congressional Gold Medal recipient, accepting her award in early 1999. She is very well known for her involvement in the civil rights movement and her historic arrest when she would not give up her bus seat to a white man.
The next six women to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal were all members of the ‘Little Rock Nine’. They received the medals in November 1999 for their efforts in the civil rights movement in regard to the prevention of integrating Little Rock Central High School. Thanks go to: Elizabeth Eckford, Carlotta Walls Lanier, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed-Wair and Melba Pattillo Beals.
First Lady, Nancy Reagan, received a gold medal on July 27th 2000 because of her distinct public service record. Among other things, she worked very hard campaigning against drug use and the youth of America.
Dr. Dorothy Height received this prestigious award on her 92nd birthday, in December 2003. She was honored for a lifetime of achievements� namely civil rights and AIDS awareness.
The most recent female recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal is Eliza Briggs who received it on September 8th 2004, along with her husband Harry. They were both involved in the civil rights movement and school desegregation.
