In a ceremony in the East Room, President Bush presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Gary S. Becker for his work in economics and social science; Oscar Elias Biscet for his work on behalf of a free Cuba in which the rights of all people are respected; Francis S. Collins for genetic research and leadership in the Human Genome Project; Benjamin L. Hooks as a pioneer of the Civil Rights movement, and efforts to extend the full promise of America to all its citizens;
Henry J. Hyde for his career in the House of Representatives and advocacy in behalf of national defense and for freedom around the world; Brian P. Lamb for his dedication to a transparent political system and the free flow of ideas; Harper Lee for her contribution to America’s literary tradition and the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, which helped focus the Nation on the turbulent struggle for equality; and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for her unwavering commitment to building a more hopeful future for her homeland, as well as expand freedom and improve the lives of people in Liberia and across Africa.