HHS/NIH Director Receives French National Order of the Legion of Honor

April 10, 2008 – French President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni the Légion d'honneur (French National Order of the Legion of Honor), the highest decoration in France. In the United States, Generals of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, are among the Americans who have received the honor. Others include General Wesley Clark, actor Kirk Douglas, film producer and actor Clint Eastwood, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. (Photo Credit: Service Photo Elysée A.R.)

April 12, 2008 – On Thursday, April 10, 2008, in a ceremony in Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded the Honorable Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the U.S. Department of Health of Human Services (HHS), the Légion d'honneur (French National Order of the Legion of Honor), the highest decoration in France. Generals of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, are among the Americans who have received the honor. Others include General Wesley Clark, actor Kirk Douglas, film producer and actor Clint Eastwood, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Last revised: April 14, 2008