Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on 20 August awarded the state’s Medal of Freedom posthumously to five prominent Floridians: former Governors Bob Graham and Buddy MacKay Jr., musician-entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett, former U.S. Representative Lincoln Díaz-Balart and former Florida House Speaker and Florida State University president John Thrasher. Established in 2020 as one of Florida’s highest civilian honors, the medal recognizes individuals who have made “especially meritorious contributions” to the state. In a statement, DeSantis said the honorees “exemplified what it means to be a great Floridian,” citing achievements that span public service, education, environmental advocacy and culture. Graham, a Democrat, served as governor from 1979 to 1987 and as U.S. senator until 2005, chairing the Senate Intelligence Committee after the 9/11 attacks. MacKay briefly became Florida’s 42nd governor in 1998 and later served as U.S. special envoy for the Americas. Buffett’s “Margaritaville” brand turned his Gulf-coast persona into a global business empire and funded marine-conservation causes. Díaz-Balart, a Cuban-American Republican, authored key provisions of the 1996 Cuban Liberty Act during an 18-year congressional career. Thrasher, a former House speaker, led Florida State University from 2014 to 2021, overseeing a $1 billion fundraising drive that helped lift the school into the top tier of U.S. public universities.