Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Encyclopedia
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children. Many Medalists take pride in documenting their family's entry to the country via Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...

. The medals are awarded to native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens from various ethnic backgrounds. The honorees are said to "exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage."

The medals were established at the time of NECO's founding in 1986. A ceremony is held each May on Ellis Island. All branches of the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

 traditionally participate. Both the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 and United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor. Each year’s recipients are read into the Congressional Record. The Great Hall where immigrants were once processed hosts the gala dinner which follows the ceremony. Approximately 100 Medalists are honored each year. Past Medalists include six Presidents, as well as Nobel Prize winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government.

The Ellis Island Medals of Honor celebrate the diversity of American life, honoring not only individuals, but the pluralism and democracy that have enabled ancestry groups to maintain their identities while becoming integral parts of the American Way of life.

Notable medalists

Notable Medalists include:
  • Elaine Chao
    Elaine Chao
    Elaine Lan Chao served as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. She was the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Chinese American to be appointed to a President's cabinet in American history. Chao was the only cabinet...

  • Michael Bolton
    Michael Bolton
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  • Stewart F. Lane
    Stewart F. Lane
    Stewart F. Lane is a five-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer with two shows currently on Broadway: Priscilla Queen of the Desert andWar Horse. He also has a DVD out now based on his critically acclaimed book, Let's Put on a Show! and a new book called "Jews of Broadway" He has also...

  • James F Comley
    James F Comley
    James Comley is a 2011 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipient for his dedication to public safety in the elevator industry.Comley was appointed by the governor to serve on the Massachusetts Board of Elevator Regulations in the state’s Department of Public Safety for over 20 years and was elected the...

  • Jerry Lewis
    Jerry Lewis
    Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...

  • Mary Lou Retton
    Mary Lou Retton
    Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist. She was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title, after 14 Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.-Personal life:Retton was born in Fairmont, West...

  • Muhammad Ali
    Muhammad Ali
    Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...

  • Donald E. Washkewicz
    Donald E. Washkewicz
    Donald E. Washkewicz is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Parker Hannifin Corporation located in Cleveland, Ohio, effective October 27, 2004...

  • Goli Ameri
    Goli Ameri
    Goli Ameri is an Iranian-American diplomat, politician and businesswoman from the U.S. state of Oregon. She is the current Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Values and Diplomacy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She is also the former U.S...

  • Tony Blair
    Tony Blair
    Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...

     (International Award. The first non-American to receive award)
  • George H.W. Bush
  • Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton
    William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

  • Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...

  • Peter A. Koo
  • Rita Cosby
    Rita Cosby
    Rita Cosby is a television news anchor and correspondent, radio host, and best selling author. She is currently a Special Correspondent for the CBS syndicated program Inside Edition, specializing in interviewing newsmakers and political figures...

  • Joe DiMaggio
    Joe DiMaggio
    Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...

  • Mike Zafirovski
  • Michael Finnegan
  • Renée Fleming
    Renée Fleming
    Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...

  • Gerald Ford
    Gerald Ford
    Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

  • Valentin Fuster
    Valentin Fuster
    Valentí Fuster is a Spaniard cardiologist – the only cardiologist to receive all four major research awards from the world's four major cardiovascular organizations....

  • Denis O'Brien
    Denis O'Brien
    Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...

  • Bob Hope
    Bob Hope
    Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...

  • Henry Kissinger
    Henry Kissinger
    Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...

  • Oren Lyons
    Oren Lyons
    Oren R. Lyons, Jr. is a Native American Faithkeeper of the turtle clan of the Onondaga and Seneca Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Once a college lacrosse player, Lyons is now a recognized advocate of indigenous rights....

  • Admiral Robert J. Natter
    Robert J. Natter
    Admiral Robert Joseph Natter is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet/Fleet Forces Command from 2000 to 2003.-Military career:...

    , USN (Ret.)
  • Michael Novak
    Michael Novak
    Michael Novak is an American Catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. The author of more than twenty-five books on the philosophy and theology of culture, Novak is most widely known for his book The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism...

  • Lou Papan
    Lou Papan
    Louis John Papan was a Democratic California politician. He was known as the "Dean of the Assembly" for his 20 years in the California State Assembly.-Early life:...

  • Peter Romary
    Peter Romary
    Peter Romary is a British born American attorney, mediator, arbitrator and diplomat living in Greenville, North Carolina. He is a lawyer, and trainer in the United States...

  • William E. Simon
    William E. Simon
    William Edward Simon was a businessman, a Secretary of Treasury of the U.S. for three years, and a philanthropist. He became the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury on May 8, 1974, during the Nixon administration. He was reappointed by President Ford and served until 1977. Outside of government, he was...

  • Martin Scorsese
    Martin Scorsese
    Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...

  • Rosanna Scotto
    Rosanna Scotto
    Rosanna Scotto is an American news anchor. She currently anchors WNYW's Good Day New York with Greg Kelly. Previously, Scotto anchored at 5 and 10 P.M. with Ernie Anastos and Fox 5 Live at 11 A.M. Scotto has been the lead female news anchor since 1990...

  • Frank Sinatra
    Frank Sinatra
    Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...

  • Donald Trump
    Donald Trump
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  • Gloria Estefan
    Gloria Estefan
    Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...

  • Jane Seymour (actress)
    Jane Seymour (actress)
    Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...

  • Sudhir K Gupta
  • Alan B. Miller
    Alan B. Miller
    Alan B. Miller is a businessman who is the founder of Universal Health Services, Inc., and currently serves as the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer . Miller founded the company in 1978 and it has grown to become one of the largest healthcare companies in the nation, with annuals...

  • Noubar Afeyan
  • Doris Roberts
    Doris Roberts
    Doris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....

  • John O'Hurley
    John O'Hurley
    John George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...

  • Salvatore Giunta
    Salvatore Giunta
    Salvatore Giunta is a retired Italian football player who played for, among others, AC Milan and Albacete Balompié, as well as the Italian under-21 side.Giunta played for AS Cannes in French Ligue 2 during the 1998-99 season....

  • Bill Gallo
    Bill Gallo
    Bill Gallo was a cartoonist and newspaper columnist for the New York Daily News.-Biography:Gallo was born in Manhattan, the son of a journalist father who died when Gallo was 11 years old. Gallo's mother and father were natives of Spain. When Gallo graduated from high school in 1941, he landed a...

  • Bruno Sammartino
    Bruno Sammartino
    Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...

  • Don Shula
    Don Shula
    Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....

  • Tom Arnold
    Tom Arnold (economist)
    Tom Arnold is an Irish economist and Chief Executive Officer of Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian relief and development organisation.- CEO of Concern Worldwide :...

     (International Award)
  • Colonel Matthew Bogdanos
    Matthew Bogdanos
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  • Fauja Singh
    Fauja Singh
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  • Vince DeMentri
    Vince DeMentri
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2011 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients

Gina Addeo, Setrak O. Agonian, Margaret Ajemian Ahnert, Carlos E. Alvarez, Jamid Ansari, Michael Aram, Tom Arnold, Kevork B. Bardakjian, PhD, Stanley M. Mergman, Tejinder Singh Bindra, Col. Matthew Bogdanos, Esq., USMC (Ret.)
Matthew Bogdanos
*Thieves of Baghdad is his first-hand account of his journey to recover Iraq’s lost treasures. His royalties from the sale of the book go to the Iraq Museum.-Awards:...

, John A. Brennan, MD, Paul A. Brinklet, Jerry Cahill
Jerry Cahill
Gerard Cahill was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 27, 1956. He is the Volunteer Director for Grants and Scholarships at the and the founder of , the organization’s athletic arm whose purpose is to raise money for BEF and the Exercise for Life Scholarship.-Early life:At age 11, Cahill was...

, Hon. Salvatore J. Cassano, Anthony D. Chimino, Steve S. Chon, Jim Cligton, Darryle D. Clott, James F. Comley, Giancarlo Crupi, MD, James Jian Cui, MD, PhD, Supt. Joseph A. D'Amico, Marty D. Davidson, Joseph F. Dean, ADM Bruce DeMars, USN (Ret.)
Bruce DeMars
Bruce DeMars is a retired United States Navy four star admiral who served as Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion from 1988 to 1996.-Early years:DeMars was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 3, 1935, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1957....

, Vince DeMentri, Nitin V. Doshi, DDS, Pierre Dulaine, CAPT Linda L. Fagan, USCG, David Fitzpatrick, PhD, Bill V. Gallo, Cyril E. Geacintov, PhD, John Giuffre, SSgt. Salvatore A. Giunta, USA, Joseph R. Haiek, Dorothy J. harber, Scott H. Herman, Fernando J. Hernandez, John M. Iacono, O. Wayne Isom, MD, Joel P. Jahraus, MD, MG Nathaniel James, AUS, Hon. Peter J. Koutoujian, SR., Cecilia M. La Pietra, OP, Wai Lap Leung, MD, Jeffrey E. Levine, Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...

, Weining Liang, MD, Joanie M. Madden, Babu Rao Mandava, Joseph A. Martorana, Anthony J. Melita, Joseph S. Micallef, JD, Radmila Milentijevic, PhD, LTG John F. Mulholland, Jr., USA, Francis Najafi, Vali R. Nasr, PhD, Younes Nazarian, Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...

, James G. O'Connor, John O'Hurley
John O'Hurley
John George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...

, Gail Talanian O'Reilly, Harvey E. Oyer, III, Esq., Mustafa Oz, MD, FACS, BG Frederick M. Padilla, USMC, Ra. Y. Park, Patrick M. Park, William L. Perocchi, Vladimir Prodanovich, Philip Pumerantz, PhD, Fahim Rahim, MD, Naeem Rahim, MD, Ali C. Razi, Frank L. Regnante, Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....

, Michele M. Rollings, Esq., Thomas Roma, Bruno L. Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...

, Samin K. Sharma, MD, Kevin Chang Yao Shih, Donald F. Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....

, CMSgt Darren A. Silsbee, USAF, Susan Sommer-Luarca, Joel Szabat, George Veras, Manu K. Vora, PhD, MBA, Joseph M. Walsh, Shirley Wang, Richard P. Wei, Roger L. Williams, MD, Walter W. Wise, Jr., Chris Jia Shu Xu, Madlena Zepter, Philip Zepter, Kenny Weiqun Zhang.

A list of all past medalists can be found at: http://www.neco.org/profileList.php?list=a
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