Former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright will receive the very first “Great American” award from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History this year.
During individual ceremonies, Powell and Albright will be given the inaugural award that “recognizes lifetime contributions that embody American ideals and ideas.”
Albright, who was confirmed as the first female secretary of state under President Clinton in 1997, was born in 1937 in Czechoslovakia and emigrated to the U.S. in 1948, and became a U.S. citizen. Powell became the first African-American secretary of state for George W. Bush in 2001 after serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retiring as a four-star Army general.
The Smithsonian provided a description of what the medals are made of (“fine gold”), and what the inspiration for them was:
The presentation medal, cast in 1.85 oz. of fine gold in Wisconsin, features an American eagle with rays of the sun on the obverse or “head’s side” with the words, “Great Americans” and “National Museum of American History” struck around the image. The reverse side honors one of the museum’s most important treasures, the Star-Spangled Banner, and includes the mission of the Smithsonian: “For the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The medal measures approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Inspiration for the design came from the museum’s National Numismatic Collection, which holds two rare Double Eagle coins designed by famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, enlisted by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 to design the $20 dollar gold piece. The medal was made possible by museum board member Jeff Garrett and designed by Michael Guilfoyle, an international designer of coins and medals.
The program is supported by David Rubenstein, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of the Carlyle Group, and a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents.
The ceremony for Albright will take place Wednesday, Sept. 7. Powell will receive his medal on Dec. 7.
