Citing their extraordinary contributions to the United States and to the world, President Joseph R. Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two pillars of the Kennedy School community. Former Belfer Center Director and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and leading philanthropist David M. Rubenstein were named recipients of the nation’s highest civilian honor during a ceremony last weekend at the White House. Carter, who died in 2022, was awarded the honor posthumously.
Carter, a beloved professor of public policy at the Kennedy School, dedicated his life to enhancing national security and served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as the 25th secretary of defense under President Obama. Following his tenure at the Pentagon, Carter returned to his academic and intellectual home at HKS, where he had taught since 1984 and where he continued to shape the future by addressing critical global challenges and mentoring the next generation of leaders as Belfer Professor of Technology and Global Affairs and director of the Belfer Center.
“Secretary Carter was not only a former director of the Belfer Center but was also in many ways the embodiment of its mission. He dedicated his life to bridging science and international affairs, tackling global challenges, and supporting countless individuals,” said Meghan L. O’Sullivan, director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. “His greatest legacy lies in the generations of leaders he taught, mentored, and inspired—they are today’s policymakers, academics, and others who credit ‘Professor Carter’ with shaping their paths. The Belfer Center honors this legacy by continuing to cultivate future leaders at the intersection of technology, innovation, and global policy.”
David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group and a passionate philanthropist, chairs the Kennedy School Dean's Executive Board. Among other contributions to the Kennedy School, Rubenstein established a fellowship in 2008 for first year joint degree students at HKS and Harvard Business School. The Rubenstein Fellowship focuses on strengthening the capacity for public leadership through reflection, mentorship, and skill building. Rubenstein is also known for his dedication to preserving the nation's cultural heritage and his insightful books examining American history and leadership across sectors.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an extraordinary honor. And it is a fitting tribute for two extraordinary members of the Kennedy School community, Ash Carter and David Rubenstein,” said HKS Dean and Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy Jeremy Weinstein. “Ash Carter served under 11 secretaries of defense before becoming secretary himself in 2015. When he was not serving at the Pentagon, he was at the Kennedy School as a faculty member, imparting lessons from his career to the next generation of national security professionals and directing the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. David Rubenstein is a true public leader in both business and philanthropy. He has championed our nation’s institutions of higher education, including the Kennedy School, as chair of the Dean’s Executive Board since 2011, chair of our 2014 capital campaign, and a former fellow of the Harvard Corporation. The Kennedy School—and our country—are stronger and better because of their exceptional service, leadership, and generosity.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. Other past Harvard recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom have included prominent diplomat and economist John Kenneth Galbraith, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, groundbreaking psychiatrist Robert Coles, and judge and civil rights advocate A. Leon Higginbotham.
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Photos by Martha Stewart