Timothy Shriver to Receive Notre Dame's Laetare Medal for Lifelong Advocacy
Timothy Shriver will be awarded the Laetare Medal at the University of Notre Dame's commencement ceremony on May 17. The honour recognises his decades of work promoting human dignity through the Special Olympics and initiatives like UNITE. Notre Dame's president, Father Robert A. Dowd, described Shriver as a relentless advocate for inclusion and respect.
Shriver has led the Special Olympics for 30 years as chairman of its international board. Under his guidance, the organisation expanded from 1 million athletes to over 6 million across more than 200 countries. His parents, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Robert Sargent Shriver, originally founded the movement, and he has continued their mission of empowering people with intellectual disabilities.
In 1994, Shriver co-founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) at Yale. He still chairs its board today. Later, in 2018, he launched UNITE, a project aimed at reducing political polarisation in the US through civil dialogue. The Laetare Medal, announced annually on the fourth Sunday of Lent, carries the inscription *Magna est veritas et praevalebit*—'Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail.' Past recipients include figures like Dorothy Day, who served the poor through the Catholic Worker Movement, and Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang-intervention programme. Sister Helen Prejean, an advocate for death row prisoners, and Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, also received the award for their commitment to justice and dignity. Shriver holds degrees from Yale, The Catholic University of America, and a doctorate in education from the University of Connecticut. His career has focused on fostering belonging and bridging divides in society.
The medal ceremony will take place during Notre Dame's graduation events next month. Shriver's work aligns with the award's tradition of honouring those who uphold human dignity and social justice. His efforts in education, disability rights, and political reconciliation have left a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
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