Liberty Medal

The National Constitution Center’s annual Liberty Medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.

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Judy Woodruff and David Rubenstein
The 2023 Liberty Medal Ceremony

The National Constitution Center honored Judy Woodruff and David Rubenstein for their inspiring work in modeling and promoting civil dialogue about the shared values of liberty that unite Americans.

The 2023 Liberty Medal Ceremony

The 35th annual Liberty Medal was awarded to acclaimed journalist Judy Woodruff and patriotic philanthropist and business leader David Rubenstein for their inspiring work in modeling and promoting civil dialogue about the shared values of liberty that unite Americans. The Liberty Medal ceremony took place on October 27, 2023, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

The Liberty Medal is made possible thanks to support from corporations, foundations, and individuals with proceeds going to further the work of the National Constitution Center. See the full list of sponsors below.​​​​​​​

Highlights

Full Ceremony

The 2023 Liberty Medal Recipients

Judy Woodruff has spent her illustrious career in network, cable, and public television news protecting and defending First Amendment freedoms, and inspiring people to speak truth to power. Beginning as a White House correspondent with NBC News, and currently serving as senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, after 11 years as its anchor and managing editor, she has covered every presidential election and convention since 1976 and moderated presidential debates. She is also a dedicated advocate for women in journalism, co-founding the International Women’s Media Foundation in 1990. Her newest project, “America at a Crossroads,” is dedicated to understanding the divisions facing our country and how to heal them.

Co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group David Rubenstein works tirelessly to preserve American history and improve our country’s civic knowledge. He has made transformative gifts for the restoration or repairs of our national monuments, preserved rare documents that he has loaned to civic institutions from the National Archives to the NCC, and supported numerous other restoration, building, and collection projects. He also serves as the host of multiple programs, and is the author of four books, including The American Story and The American Experiment. He is chairman of the boards of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the National Gallery of Art, among a number of other boards, and also serves as a trustee of the National Constitution Center.

Constitution Daily

Read coverage of the event on our Constitution Daily blog.

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Ceremony Transcript

The official transcript of the full ceremony includes a discussion about the importance of our Founding documents.

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Thank You

Thank you to the Liberty Medal’s underwriters:
 

Citizens
 
Comcast
 

Doug & Maria DeVos
 

Kenneth C. Griffin
 

Griffin Catalyst logo
Ira M. Lubert & Pamela Estadt Logo
Stradley Ronon Logo

Thank you to the many individuals, corporations, and foundations who support the Liberty Medal and the work of the National Constitution Center:

Patrons

Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer & Joseph Neubauer
Judge J. Michael & Elizabeth Luttig
Fred & Barbara Sutherland
Templeton Logo

Sponsors

David & Sarah Andrews
Mike & Jackie Bezos
Connelly Foundation
Cozen
Dilworth Paxson
Freedom Forum Logo
The George Family Foundation
Donald & Allison Gulbrandsen
Katz Foundation Logo
Larry and Mary Kent Charitable Fund
Kettering Foundation Logo
Liberty Coca Cola Logo
Meijer
Meta
PECO Logo
TD Bank Logo
Travelers

Supporters

Lenfest
Pennoni Logo
Derrick & Chevelle Roman
Mark A. Thomas

Liberty Medal

Established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, the Liberty Medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. The Medal was first administered by the National Constitution Center in 2006 when Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were recognized for their bipartisan humanitarian efforts on behalf of victims of natural disasters in Southeast Asia and the Gulf Coast. The Medal’s roster of recipients includes many of the men, women, and organizations that have shaped and guided the world through the past three decades, including Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai, and Colin Powell.

National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, we serve as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling our congressional charter “to disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a nonpartisan basis in order to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.” As the Museum of We the People, we bring the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, we convene the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, we offer the best educational programs and online resources that inspire and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.

Contact

For information about sponsoring the Liberty Medal, please contact Rachel Dellon at [email protected]. For general inquiries, please contact, [email protected].

Images from the 2023 Liberty Medal Ceremony

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