James Cardinal Gibbons Medal

The James Cardinal Gibbons Medal is named in honor James Cardinal Gibbons, the founder and first chancellor of The Catholic University of America. It is intended to honor any person who, in the opinion of the University's Alumni Association's Board of Governors, has rendered distinguished and meritorious service to the Roman Catholic Church, the United States of America, or The Catholic University of America. Winners include Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, Senator John F. Kennedy, Speaker John W. McCormack, Sargent Shriver, Nancy Reagan, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Sister Helen Prejean, and Ronan Tynan.

The Gibbons Medal is conferred by the university president on behalf of the CUA Alumni Association during the alumni awards ceremony. John F. Kennedy was awarded the medal while still a senator, upon the nomination of Eddie Pryzbyla, a future winner himself.

Winners

• 1949 - Carlton J. H. Hayes, Professor, historian, publicist
• 1950 - General Carlos Romulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines
• 1951 - Fulton Oursler, Author, senior editor, Readers Digest
• 1953 - Fulton J. Sheen, D.D.
• 1954 - J. Edgar Hoover, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• 1955 - General Lawton Collins, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
• 1956 - John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator (MA) (Later President of the United States of America)
• 1956 - Ignatius Smith, O.P., Dean, The Catholic University of America School of Philosophy
• 1957 - Bryan J. McEntegart, D.D., Bishop of Brooklyn
• 1958 - Thomas E. Murray, Consultant, Atomic Energy Commission
• 1959 - General Alfred Gruenther, Past President, American Red Cross
• 1960 - Karl F. Herzfeld, Physicist
• 1961 - Charles G. Fenwick, Director, Legal Affairs, Organization of American States
• 1962 - Luke Edward Hart, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
• 1963 - John W. McCormack, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
• 1964 - John A. McCone, Director, Central Intelligence Agency
• 1965 - Sargent Shriver, Director, Peace Corps
• 1966 - Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• 1967 - James J. Norris, Assistant to the Executive Director, Catholic Relief Services
• 1968 - Danny Thomas, Entertainer
• 1969 - Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., President, University of Notre Dame, alumnus
• 1970 - Dr. Carroll Hochwalt, Former Chairman, The Catholic University of America, Board of Trustees
• 1971 - James Walsh, Superior General, Maryknoll Fathers
• 1972 - Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle, Archbishop of Washington and Chancellor of the University
• 1973 - Helen Hayes, Actress
• 1974 - Michael Mansfield, U.S. Senator
• 1975 - John J. Sirica, Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
• 1976 - Lawrence Cardinal Shehan, Archbishop of Baltimore
• 1977 - Benjamin T. Rome, Chairman of the Board, Hyman Construction Company, alumnus, benefactor
• 1978 - Clarence C. Walton, President, The Catholic University of America, alumnus
• 1979 - Terence Cardinal Cooke, Archbishop of New York, alumnus
• 1980 - William Cardinal Baum, Prefect, Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome, Former Chancellor of The Catholic University of America
• 1980 - J. Peter Grace, Chief Executive Officer, W.R. Grace Co.
• 1981 - John Tracy Ellis, church historian, alumnus
• 1982 - Raymond A. DuFour, President and Chairman of the Board, DuFour Enterprises, Inc., alumnus, benefactor
• 1983 - None Awarded.
• 1984 - Bruce Ritter, Founder, Covenant House
• 1985 - Gilbert V. Hartke, O.P., Chairman Emeritus, The Catholic University of America Drama Department, alumnus
• 1985 - Mildred Fay Jefferson, M.D., Surgeon and Pro-Life Leader
• 1986 - Nancy Reagan, Former First Lady of the United States of America
• 1987 - Philip M. Hannan, Archbishop of New Orleans, alumnus
• 1988 - Admiral James D. Watkins, Former Chief of Naval Operations, Former Secretary of Energy, Former Chairman of Reagan's HIV Task Force
• 1988 - Edward Bennett Williams, Esq., Attorney
• 1989 - William D. Borders, Retired Archbishop of Baltimore
• 1990 - Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Executive Vice President, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, Founding Chairwoman, Special Olympics International
• 1991 - William J. Byron, S.J., President, The Catholic University of America
• 1992 - George J. Quinn, Chairman, Alton Engineering, alumnus, benefactor
• 1993 - Edward J. Pryzbyla, President, Edwards Enterprises, alumnus, benefactor
• 1994 - Richard W. Galiher, Sr., attorney, alumnus, benefactor
• 1994 - Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
• 1995 - Robert Patrick Casey, Former Governor of Pennsylvania
• 1996 - James Cardinal Hickey, Former Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and Chancellor of the University, alumnus
• 1997 - Brother Patrick Ellis, F.S.C., President, The Catholic University of America, alumnus
• 1997 - Henry J. Hyde, U.S Congressman from Illinois
• 1998 - Corrine "Lindy" Boggs, The United States Ambassador to The Holy See
• 1999 - Kathryn J. DuFour, benefactor
• 2000 - William H. Graham, Sr., former faculty member and chairman of the board of trustees for the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts
• 2001 - Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.
• 2002 - Aaron Neville, four-time Grammy award winning vocalist
• 2003 - Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., bestselling author of Dead Man Walking
• 2004 - General Barry McCaffrey, former drug czar and national security consultant
• 2005 - Darrell Green, Founder, The Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation
• 2006 - None awarded.
• 2007 - None awarded.
• 2008 - Kenneth Hackett, President, Catholic Relief Services
• 2009 - Ronan Tynan, Paralympic athlete, vocalist, inspirational speaker
• 2010 - Sr. Alice Zachman, Advocate for Human Rights and Justice
• 2011 - None awarded.
• 2012 - Kevin Ryan, President and CEO, Covenant House, alumnus
• 2013 - Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M., Co-founder of Philadelphia's Project H.O.M.E.