Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

President Donald Trump awards Medal of Freedom to Roger Penske

Donald Trump, Roger Penske

President Donald Trump shakes hands with auto racing great Roger Penske during a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP

President Donald Trump awarded car owner Roger Penske the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, Thursday in a ceremony at the White House.

“A legend in so many ways,” President Trump said of Penske.

The Medal of Freedom was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

“Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom is really something special,” Penske said during the White House ceremony, “and to me it means more than any business success or motorsports trophy.”

Others who have been awarded the Medal of Freedom since 2018 by President Trump include Tiger Woods, Elvis Presley, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, former NFL great Roger Staubach and former NBA greats Bob Cousy and Jerry West.

Team Penske has recorded 545 major race wins, 621 pole positions and 36 championships. His teams have won the Indianapolis 500 a record 18 times. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January. His IndyCar team won the championship this year with Josef Newgarden. Team Penske has two drivers, reigning series champion Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, in the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup playoffs.

Penske is the founder and chairman of Penske Corp., which manages businesses with consolidated revenues of more than $32 billion and employs more than 64,000 people worldwide.