Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Stan Musial awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Stan Musial, waves to fans during Stan Musial Day at Busch Stadium on October 2, 2010, in St. Louis. Word has come from the White House on November 17, 2010 that Musial will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2011. Musial, who will be 90 later this week, is one of 14 awarded the Medal of Freedom today. Others include former President George H.W. Bush; Maya Angelou, poet; Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel; U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; John H. Adams, co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Warren Buffet, investor and philanthropist; Jasper Johns, artist; Dr. Tom Little, U.S. ophthalmologist murdered in Afghanistan; Yo-Yo Ma, musician; Sylvia Mendez, civil rights activist; Bill Russell, former NBA player; Jean Kennedy Smith, former ambassador; and John Sweeney, former AFL-CIO president. UPI/Bill Greenblatt/FILES