FIFTEEN GET MEDAL OF FREEDOM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A white-gloved society matron and a civil rights pioneer
who led lunch counter protests were honored by President Clinton with the
nation's highest civilian award Thursday.

Millionaire philanthropist Brooke Astor and activist James Farmer were
among 15 Americans awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony
in the White House East Room.

``All of our honorees have helped America to widen the circle of democracy
by fighting for human rights, by righting social wrongs, by empowering
others to achieve, by preserving our precious environment, by extending
peace around the world,'' the president said.

The presentation of medals occurred on the 69th anniversary of the birth of
Martin Luther King.

While several of the honorees, including Arnold Aronson and Farmer, were
recognized for their efforts to realize King's dream through hands-on
activism, others such as Astor and financier David Rockefeller were honored
for their philanthropy.

Referring to an introduction by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the president said
with a smile, ``I never contradict my wife in public. But I couldn't help
thinking when she said we were honoring 15 ordinary American citizens
today, I thought, yes, people like Brooke Astor and David Rockefeller.''
The audience joined Clinton in laughter.

Astor, in her mid 90s, was honored for her dedication to causes ranging
from helping the needy to cultural enrichment, and Rockefeller, for his
efforts to promote world peace.

Astor, as head of the Vincent Astor foundation, helped finance
revitalization of the New York Public Library.

Rockefeller is a former chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank, co-founder of the
International Executive Service, through which American executives lend
expertise to developing nations, and philanthropist in the arts, literacy,
international family planning and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Clinton also singled out Wilma Mankiller, the former Cherokee chief, and
Farmer, whose early sit-in at a Chicago coffee shop foreshadowed the
national civil rights movement that King would lead.

Also honored were Elliot Richardson, who was President Nixon's attorney
general during the ``Saturday Night Massacre'' at the height of the
Watergate scandal and held three other Cabinet posts; and Adm. Elmo
Zumwalt, former chief of naval operations and ex-commander of naval
operations in Vietnam.

Other honorees: Robert Coles, an adviser to President Kennedy on racial
issues and psychologist who has researched children's experiences with
racism; Justin Dart Jr., advocate for the rights of the disabled; Frances
Hesselbein, an expert on not-for-profit corporations who led a
revitalization of the Girl Scouts of America from 1976 to 1990.

Also, Fred Korematsu, whose legal challenges to civilian exclusion orders
during World War II helped spur the redress movement for Japanese-
Americans; Sol Linowitz, a lawyer-businessman and former U.S.
representative to the Organization of American States; Margaret Murie, an
environmental activist whose work with The Wilderness Society led to laws
protecting Alaskan lands; Mario Obledo, longtime Latino rights advocate and
co-founder of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Albert Shanker was honored posthumously for his work at the helm of the
American Federation of Teachers for more than 20 years.