Medal for Merit

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The Medal for Merit was one of the highest civilian decorations of the United States, awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services during World War II and the early postwar period.

Aliases (3)
  • MEDAL FOR MERIT ×1
  • Medal for Merit Act ×1
  • Presidential Medal of Merit ×1

Statements (39)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States civilian award
civilian decoration
administeredBy Medal for Merit Board
authorizedBy Public Law 77-671
awardedFor exceptionally meritorious conduct
performance of outstanding services
awardingAuthority President of the United States
awardingBody United States government
campaign World War II
conflict World War II
country United States
dateEstablished 1942-07-20
discontinuedIn 1952
eligibility United States citizens
civilians
foreign nationals
establishedBy United States Congress
firstAwarded 1946
higherAward Presidential Medal of Freedom
historicalContext created during World War II to recognize civilian service
lastAwarded 1952
notableRecipient Alan Turing
J. Edgar Hoover
Robert Oppenheimer
Vannevar Bush
William Stephenson
obverseDesign profile of George Washington
periodOfUse World War II
early postwar period
presentedBy President of the United States
relatedAward Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
reverseInscription FOR MERITORIOUS CONDUCT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OUTSTANDING SERVICES
MEDAL FOR MERIT
ribbonColor dark blue
shape bronze star-shaped medal
status discontinued
timePeriod 20th century
type individual award

Referenced by (17)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Cordell Hull
David Sarnoff
Detlev W. Bronk ("Presidential Medal of Merit")
George Kistiakowsky
Hap Arnold
Henry A. Wallace
I. I. Rabi
J. Robert Oppenheimer
James B. Conant
John von Neumann
Lewis L. Strauss
Luis Alvarez
William S. Knudsen
awardReceived
Public Law 77-671 ("Medal for Merit Act")
alsoKnownAs
Public Law 77-671
awardTypeAuthorized
Medal for Merit ("MEDAL FOR MERIT")
reverseInscription
Public Law 77-671
subject

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