List of awards and honors received by George McGovern

During his service with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, McGovern was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

{{Incomplete list|date=February 2011}}

Combined, George and Eleanor McGovern received more than 20 honorary degrees.{{cite web |url=http://www.mcgoverncenter.com/ |title=Home |website=mcgoverncenter.com}} These include these from George.

In 1967, McGovern received an honorary LL.D. from Grinnell College.[http://www.grinnell.edu/car/confops/commencement/spawards/hd-0 "Past Hnorary Degrees" ] Grinnell College

McGovern received an honorary degree in humane letters in June 1969 from Northwestern University."A Responsive Party Sought by McGovern", Chicago Tribune, June 7, 1969."Nine Get Honorary Degrees from N. U.", Chicago Tribune, Sara Jane Goodyear, p. 1.

In 1984, McGovern received a doctor of laws honorary degree from George Washington University.[http://encyclopedia.gwu.edu/gwencyclopedia/index.php?title=Honorary_Degrees_-_Recipients_of_Honorary_Degrees_At_The_George_Washington_University/ "Honorary Degrees - Recipients of Honorary Degrees At The George Washington University"], George Washington University

In 1990, McGovern was awarded an honorary J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

In 2001, McGovern received an honorary degree from UMDNJ for his accomplishments in fighting world hunger."UMDNJ graduates largest class UMDNJ awards 1,190 degrees",

Asbury Park Press - May 24, 2001

Also in 2001, McGovern received an honorary D.P.S. from Tufts University.[http://trustees.tufts.edu/data/degrees/ "Honorary Degree Recipients of Tufts University"], Tufts University.

In 2004, McGovern was given an honorary degree by the University of San Francisco.[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:yVQuOAAZaXYJ:www.alphadeltagamma.org/alumni/albert.pdf+george+mcgovern+honorary+degree&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShu6cAP9kOn7wLsLELMIREpvPmQIYiCMu-1C8MdkGCEey7rHbqeCXhhEjWCB41Nd2FAmSyBs6-wUd5RONYHxsRl63iYmAtgWMv3PtB7rVzY_wQMm1PUxo5vxCEWJLRQG832-e2x&sig=AHIEtbQameRSCVIZH-vMnHrU_ibLCRQj-A "Graduations reflect USF values"]

In May 2008, McGovern received an honorary doctor of public service degree at the University of South Dakota,

in recognition of his public service to the citizens of South Dakota and the nation.[http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6374.cfm?Id=0,69203 "USD To Honor McGovern At Commencement"]

Published: May 7, 2008 Keloland.com

That month the same, McGovern received an honorary degree from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, and gave the commencement speech.{{cite news | title=McGovern to receive honorary degree | newspaper=Rapid City Journal | date= May 2, 2008 | url=http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/top-stories/article_dbc1e84b-eef4-5fd1-8644-76478de4f914.html}}

On September 4, 2005, he appeared at the Houston Astrodome in support of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. This time, another Houston university, Rice University, awarded him an honorary Ph.D.

In 1991, McGovern was made a Gandhi Peace Award laureate.{{cite web| url = http://www.pepeace.org/gandhi-peace-award| title = Gandhi Peace Award Recipients| date = n.d.| publisher = Promoting Enduring Peace | accessdate = 2012-02-08}}

During 1999, McGovern received the Freedom from Want award, part of the Four Freedoms Awards from the Roosevelt Institute.{{cite web|url=http://www.rooseveltinstitute.org/four-freedoms-awards |title=Four Freedoms Awards |publisher=Roosevelt Institute |accessdate=2015-04-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325223647/http://www.rooseveltinstitute.org/four-freedoms-awards |archivedate=2015-03-25 }}

On August 9, 2000, McGovern was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.Watson (ed.), George McGovern, p. 157. It is the United States' highest civilian honor.

In 2002, McGovern and fellow former Senator Bob Dole were the inaugural winners of the McGovern–Dole Leadership Award given out by the World Food Programme. The award has been given out in each year since "to recognize leaders who have played a critical role in the fight against global hunger."{{cite web | url=https://www.wfpusa.org/about-wfp-usa/awards-and-events/mcgovern-dole-leadership-award/ | title=McGovern–Dole Leadership Award | publisher=World Food Program USA | accessdate=October 15, 2017}}

On March 22, 2006, McGovern spoke at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs on the topic of world hunger.{{cite web|url=http://uc.princeton.edu/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=377&Itemid=8Fighting |title=World Hunger |publisher=Uc.princeton.edu |date=2006-03-22 |accessdate=2010-06-17}}

On October 5–7, 2006, the George and Eleanor McGovern Library and Center for Leadership and Public Service was dedicated at Dakota Wesleyan University. Among the dedication's dignitaries were former President Bill Clinton and Allen Neuharth.

On July 10, 2007, "An Evening with George McGovern" was held at Dakota Wesleyan University, to celebrate McGovern's upcoming 85th birthday. The event was anchored by veteran NBC correspondent Sander Vanocur.[http://www.dwu.edu/press/2007/jul11.htm DWU - Press Release] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213050216/http://www.dwu.edu/press/2007/jul11.htm |date=February 13, 2009 }}

On July 13–14, 2007, a series of events was held in Washington, D.C. to honor McGovern on the 35th anniversary of his nomination for president, and shortly before his 85th birthday on July 19. It included a reunion of his 1972 campaign staff and volunteers at the House Caucus Room, a World Hunger Symposium at George Washington University, followed by a [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/199919-1 birthday tribute luncheon]. The events were co-sponsored by Friends of the World Food Program and Dakota Wesleyan University's George and Eleanor McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service. Hundreds of former staff, volunteers, supporters and friends attended, along with public officials. McGovern addressed the crowds at all three events. Other speakers included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gary Hart, Congressman Jim McGovern, journalists Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and David Broder, and Friends of the World Food Program President/CEO Karen Sendelback. Over $100,000 was raised for the McGovern Legacy Fund, which supports the McGovern-Dole Food Program and Dakota Wesleyan's McGovern Center. The events received national news coverage and were [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/199919-1 broadcast in part] on C-SPAN on August 4 and 6. (Their timing and coverage was serendipitous as McGovern was already in the news that week, responding to journalists about a newly released White House tape disclosing Nixon's controversial remarks about him on election night 1972.)

Those events were followed by another anniversary event on November 6, 2007, "The '72 Campaign: A Living Legacy", at the 2007 McGovern Conference, sponsored by the McGovern Center at Dakota Wesleyan University. It featured presentations by scholarly authors, former McGovern campaign staffers and volunteers, and McGovern himself.

In 2007, Death Penalty Focus awarded McGovern with their Human Rights Award.{{Cite web |date=2012-11-13 |title=George McGovern (1922-2012): A 'True' American Hero |url=https://patch.com/california/redlands/bp--george-mcgovern-1922-2012-a-true-american-hero |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=Redlands-Loma Linda, CA Patch |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Honorees (1996 - 2023) |url=https://deathpenalty.org/awards/honorees-1996-2023/ |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=Death Penalty FOCUS |language=en-US}}

On October 16, 2008, McGovern and Dole were named the 2008 World Food Prize Laureates for their work to promote school-feeding programs globally.{{cite web | url=http://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/events/laureate_award_ceremony/2008_ceremony/ | title=The 2008 World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony Honoring Hon. Robert Dole and Hon. George McGovern | publisher=World Food Prize | accessdate=October 15, 2010}}

On March 12, 2009, McGovern and Dole received a [http://www.ncrconline.com/Peacemaker/2009Honorees.php National Peacemaker Award] from the National Conflict Resolution Center for "crossing party lines to break the cycle of poverty and violence for children around the world" through their work in fighting world hunger.

In 2005, McGovern and Dole were given the Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Nutrition from the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. Other recipients include Howard G. Buffett and Catherine Bertini.{{cite press release | url=http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Blog.aspx?id=11276&blogid=564 | title=Marshall Matz to Receive 2009 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Nutrition | publisher=Global Child Nutrition Foundation | date=January 6, 2009}}

On April 6, 2009, Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida celebrated "An Evening with George McGovern."

McGovern's 90th birthday was celebrated on July 19, 2012, in Washington affair hosted by World Food Program USA. Guests included liberal Democratic stalwarts such as Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Steny Hoyer, Dick Durbin, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Mark Kennedy Shriver, and Tom Harkin, as well as a fellow South Dakotan, Republican John Thune, who said, "We’re very proud of Senator McGovern. My dad was a big McGovern fan ... he’s a terrific man and a great public servant."{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/george-mcgoverns-90th-birthday-party-celebrates-old-fashioned-liberal-thank-you-for-being-born/2012/07/22/gJQACtp02W_blog.html | title=George McGovern's 90th birthday party celebrates old-fashioned liberal: "Thank you for being born." | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=July 23, 2012}}{{cite news | url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/20/george-mcgovern-celebrates-90th-birthday-with-washington.html | title=George McGovern Celebrates 90th Birthday With Washington | author=Clift, Eleanor | author-link=Eleanor Clift | publisher=The Daily Beast | date=July 20, 2012}}

In addition to the McGovern Library and Center at Dakota Wesleyan, a middle school in Sioux Falls is named for him,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/138-schools/middle/george-mcgovern-middle|title=George McGovern Middle - Sioux Falls School District}}

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Category:Lists of awards and honors received by politician

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