Tim Shriver received the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame on 17 May during the university’s graduation ceremony, according to information posted by the university. Tim received the award in recognition of his leadership of the Special Olympics, the global movement supporting people with intellectual disabilities founded by his mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968.
During the event, he addressed the growing polarization in society:
“People will tell you the world is too broken, that we’re too separated to repair, too different to get along. It’s too difficult. And it’s true — these are difficult times. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. But there is nothing about polarization that cannot be overcome by treating each other with dignity. And we can change the way we treat each other. No matter how far apart we’ve grown, we can honor each other’s dignity and bring ourselves back together again.”
Tim Shriver will lead the John Main Seminar 2026 from 17 to 20 September at American University. The theme of the seminar is Healing the Breach. More information here.
