What Awards Did Martin Luther King, Jr., Receive?
Martin Luther King, Jr., received numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. At the time, he was the youngest man and the second American to earn the honor. While identified as an outstanding personality of the year by “Time” in 1957, the magazine also named him its “Man of the Year” in 1963.
Many organizations involved in social justice and equality paid tribute to King. The NAACP gave him the Spingarn Medal in 1957, citing him as having made “the highest or noblest achievement by an American Negro” during the year. The Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago recognized King with the John F. Kennedy Award in 1964, while the Southern Christian Leadership Conference acknowledged him posthumously in 1968 with the Rosa L. Parks Award.
King was presented with many honorary degrees. He was given symbolic doctorates from institutions such as Boston University, Yale University, Bard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Professional organizations also honored King. For example, in 1958, the Guardian Association of the Police Department of New York imparted its Second Annual Achievement award to Dr. King. In 1964, the United Federation of Teachers named him the winner of The John Dewey Award for improving children’s lives. The Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Die Workers International Union named King the American of the Decade in 1963.
