Editing Hank Aaron (section)

==Awards and honors==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image = BravesRetired44.png
|Name = Hank Aaron
|Number = 44
|Team = Atlanta Braves
|Year = 1977
}}
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = milret44.PNG
|Name   = Hank Aaron
|Number = 44
|Team   = Milwaukee Brewers
|Year   = 1976
|}}

In 1982, Aaron was inducted into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] during his first year of eligibility.<ref name=":1" />

Aaron was awarded the [[Spingarn Medal]] in 1976, from the [[NAACP]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |title=Spingarn Medal Winners: 1915 to Today |url=http://www.naacp.org/pages/spingarn-medal-winners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802063355/http://www.naacp.org/pages/spingarn-medal-winners |archive-date=August 2, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2014 |website=[[NAACP]]}}</ref> In 1977, Aaron received the [[American Academy of Achievement]]'s Golden Plate Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hank Aaron Biography and Interview |url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/hank-aaron/#biography |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223071900/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/hank-aaron/#biography |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |access-date=April 8, 2019 |website=[[Academy of Achievement]]}}</ref> In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the [[Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame]] for his time spent on the Eau Claire Bears, Milwaukee Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hank Aaron, Class of 1988 |url=https://www.wihalloffame.com/hank-aaron |website=[[Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame]]}}</ref>

In 1999, Major League Baseball created the [[Hank Aaron Award]], to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark of 714 home runs and to honor Aaron's contributions to baseball.<ref>{{cite web |title=All-time winners |url=https://www.mlb.com/awards/hank-aaron |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403104646/http://m.mlb.com/awards/history-winners/?award_id=ALHAA |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |access-date=April 3, 2019 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> The award is given annually to the baseball hitters voted the most effective in each respective league. In 2002, scholar [[Molefi Kete Asante]] listed Aaron on his list of [[100 Greatest African Americans]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Schiavone |first=Tony |date=July 8, 2016 |title=Are These the 4 Most Important Athletes in Atlanta History? |url=https://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2016/07/08/are-these-the-4-most-important-athletes-in-atlanta-history/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130190710/https://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2016/07/08/are-these-the-4-most-important-athletes-in-atlanta-history/ |archive-date=January 30, 2021 |access-date=January 22, 2021 |website=[[WANF|CBS Atlanta]]}}</ref>

When the city of [[Atlanta]] was converting [[Centennial Olympic Stadium]] into a new baseball stadium, many local residents hoped the stadium would be named for Aaron. When the stadium was instead named [[Turner Field]] (after Atlanta Braves owner [[Ted Turner]]), a section of Capitol Avenue running past the stadium was renamed Hank Aaron Drive. The stadium's street number is 755, after Aaron's total number of home runs; the 755 street number was retained for Turner Field's replacement, [[Truist Park]]. In April 1997, a new baseball facility for the AA [[Mobile Bay Bears]] constructed in Aaron's hometown of [[Mobile, Alabama]] was named [[Hank Aaron Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hank Aaron Stadium Info |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-40994572 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413154552/http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20090310&content_id=40994572&sid=t417&vkey=team1 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |work=[[Minor League Baseball]]}}</ref> [[Georgia State University]] acquired [[Turner Field]] and has since rebuilt it as [[Center Parc Stadium]], in 2017, and university officials plan to build a new baseball park on the former [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]] site, incorporating the left field wall where Aaron hit his record-breaking home run.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barrier |first1=Bob |last2=McClellan |first2=Scott |title=Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/atlanta-fulton-county-stadium/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

On February 5, 1999, at his 65th birthday celebration, [[Major League Baseball]] announced the introduction of the [[Hank Aaron Award]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hank Aaron Timeline|work=[[The Sporting News]] |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/aaron/timeline.html|access-date=February 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622000852/http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/aaron/timeline.html |archive-date=June 22, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The award honors the best overall offensive performer in the [[American League|American]] and [[National League (baseball)|National League]]. It was the first major award to be introduced in more than thirty years and had the distinction of being the first award named after a player who was still alive.<ref>{{cite web |year=2012 |title=HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT |url=http://www.marquette.edu/universityhonors/honors_aaron.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124185230/http://marquette.edu/universityhonors/honors_aaron.shtml |archive-date=January 24, 2015 |access-date=November 14, 2014 |website=[[Marquette University]]}}</ref> Later that year, he ranked fifth on ''[[The Sporting News]]''{{-'}} list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 100 Greatest Players|magazine=[[The Sporting News]]|date=April 26, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050416222917/http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-5.html |archive-date=April 16, 2005 |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-5.html}}</ref> and was elected to the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The All-Century Team |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119065808/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp |archive-date=January 19, 2010 |access-date=February 15, 2007 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref>

In June 2000, [[Tufts University]] awarded Aaron an honorary Doctor of Public Service.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 19, 2019 |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |url=https://trustees.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019-05-19_honorary_degrees.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523191731/https://trustees.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019-05-19_honorary_degrees.pdf |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=March 31, 2021 |website=[[Tufts University]]}}</ref> In July 2000 and again in July 2002, Aaron threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]], played at [[Turner Field]] and Miller Park now named [[American Family Field]], respectively.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 30, 2000 |title=Aaron to throw out first pitch at All-Star Game |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/063000/spo_LS0546.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143748/http://amarillo.com/stories/063000/spo_LS0546.shtml |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2014 |website=[[Amarillo Globe-News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

[[File:President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hank Aaron.jpg|thumb|Aaron accepting the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] from President [[George W. Bush]] in 2002]]

On January 8, 2001, Aaron was presented with the [[Presidential Citizens Medal]] by President [[Bill Clinton]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Messina |first=Paul |year=2011 |title=Presidential Citizens Medal |url=http://raisedbytv.com/tag/presidential-citizens-medal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413145030/http://raisedbytv.com/tag/presidential-citizens-medal/ |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2014 |website=Raised by TV}}</ref> He received the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], the nation's highest civilian honor, from President [[George W. Bush]] in June 2002.<ref>{{cite press release |title=President Bush Announces the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom |date=June 20, 2002 |publisher=[[White House Office of the Press Secretary]] |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020620-16.html |access-date=May 5, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027112010/http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/06/20020620-16.html |archive-date=October 27, 2011}}</ref> In 2001, a recreational trail in Milwaukee connecting [[American Family Field]] with [[Lake Michigan]] along the [[Menomonee River]] was dedicated as the [[Hank Aaron State Trail]]. Aaron attended the dedication. Aaron was on the Board of Selectors of [[Jefferson Awards for Public Service]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |title=Our Board of Selectors |url=http://www.jeffersonawards.org/about/#our-selectors |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822190847/http://www.jeffersonawards.org/board#our-selectors |archive-date=August 22, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2014 |website=[[Jefferson Awards for Public Service|Jefferson Awards Foundation]]}}</ref>

In 2002, Aaron was honored with the "Lombardi Award of Excellence" from the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation. The award was created to honor [[Vince Lombardi]]'s legacy and is awarded annually to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the coach.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame |url=https://www.lombardifoundation.org/hall-of-fame |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403142351/https://www.lombardifoundation.org/hall-of-fame |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |access-date=April 3, 2019 |website=Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation}}</ref>

Aaron dedicated the new exhibit "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream" at the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] on April 25, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Overview: Guide to Exhibits |url=http://baseballhall.org/museum/exhibits/overview |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209035315/http://baseballhall.org/museum/exhibits/overview |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2014 |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}} [https://s3.amazonaws.com/EducationDownloads/2021Guide_English.pdf 2021 PDF version]</ref> Statues of Aaron stand outside the front entrance of both [[Turner Field]] and [[American Family Field]]. There is also a statue of him as an 18-year-old shortstop outside [[Carson Park (baseball stadium)|Carson Park]] in [[Eau Claire, Wisconsin]], where he played his first season in the Braves' minor league system.<ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |title=About Carson Park: Eau Claire, Wisconsin |url=http://www.eauclaireexpress.com/carson_park/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407072000/http://northwoodsleague.com/eau-claire-express/team/ballpark/ |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2014 |website=[[Eau Claire Express]]}}</ref>

He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the [[Georgia Historical Society]], in conjunction with the [[Governor of Georgia]], to recognize accomplishments and community service that reflect the ideals of the founding body of [[Trustee Georgia|Trustees]], which governed the Georgia colony from 1732 to 1752.<ref>{{cite web|last=Van Brimmer|first=Adam|url=http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-02-14/ted-turner-hank-aaron-influenced-each-other-well-georgia|title=Ted Turner, Hank Aaron influenced each other as well as Georgia|newspaper=[[Savannah Morning News]]|date=February 14, 2010}}</ref>

In 2011, the President of [[Princeton University]] [[Shirley M. Tilghman]] awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree to Aaron.<ref>{{cite web |title=Princeton awards six honorary degrees |url=https://www.princeton.edu/news/2011/05/31/princeton-awards-six-honorary-degrees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801134717/https://www.princeton.edu/news/2011/05/31/princeton-awards-six-honorary-degrees |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |access-date=May 29, 2020 |website=[[Princeton University]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 31, 2011 |title=Aaron receives honorary degree from Princeton |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6611214 |website=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

In November 2015, Aaron was one of the five inaugural recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Prize, an award granted by the [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] in recognition of "exemplary achievements in the fields of civil rights, business, entertainment, science, and sports."<ref>{{cite web |date=November 9, 2015 |title=Portrait of Nation Prize Winner: Hank Aaron |url=https://npg.si.edu/blog/portrait-nation-prize-winner-hank-aaron |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408030221/https://npg.si.edu/blog/portrait-nation-prize-winner-hank-aaron |archive-date=April 8, 2020 |website=[[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Freed |first1=Benjamin |title=National Portrait Gallery Honors Aretha Franklin, Carolina Herrera, Hank Aaron |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/11/16/national-portrait-gallery-honors-aretha-franklin-carolina-herrera-hank-aaron/ |access-date=January 24, 2021 |work=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |date=November 16, 2015 |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127150702/https://www.washingtonian.com/2015/11/16/national-portrait-gallery-honors-aretha-franklin-carolina-herrera-hank-aaron/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2016, Aaron received the [[Order of the Rising Sun]], Gold Rays with Rosette from [[Akihito]], the [[Emperor of Japan]].<ref>{{cite news |date=January 14, 2016 |title=Hank Aaron presented with Order of the Rising Sun |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/14571492/japan-honors-hank-aaron-order-rising-sun |website=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

The Elite Development Invitational, a youth baseball tournament organized by the Major League Baseball and the [[MLB Players Association]] to increase diversity in the sport, was renamed the Hank Aaron Invitational for the 2019 season.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 26, 2018 |title=MLB renames developmental program after Hank Aaron |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25093697/mlb-elite-development-invitational-renamed-hank-aaron |website=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

After Aaron's death, the [[Atlanta Falcons]] of the NFL and [[Atlanta United]] of MLS retired his No. 44 for the 2021 season (the [[Atlanta Hawks]] of the NBA had already retired No. 44 for [[Pete Maravich]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United retire Hank Aaron's No. 44 for 2021 season |url=https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/atlanta-falcons-atlanta-united-retire-hank-aarons-no-44-2021-season/NKUE5LJLNZHZ7BXRTLNHGX2GAQ/ |work=[[WSB-TV]] |date=January 22, 2021}}</ref> Additionally, Gwinnett County [[minor league baseball]] teams, the Triple-A [[Gwinnett Stripers]] (2021 season) and Double-A [[Atlanta Gladiators]] (2021–22 season), also temporarily retired No. 44 in Aaron's honor, as did the Braves' other minor league affiliates.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clemons |first1=David |title=Stripers to retire numbers of Aaron, Niekro |work=[[Walton Tribune]] |date=June 14, 2021 |url=https://www.waltontribune.com/sports/article_db90d246-cd79-11eb-b69f-fb16d3d64516.html}}</ref>

In April 2021, the Forrest Hill Academy was renamed the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy. The alternative high school had been named after [[Nathan Bedford Forrest]], a general in the [[Confederate Army]] and the [[Ku Klux Klan]]'s first Grand Wizard.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Inabinett |first1=Mark |date=April 13, 2021 |title=Hank Aaron replaces Confederate general in school name |url=https://www.al.com/sports/2021/04/hank-aaron-replaces-confederate-general-in-school-name.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414012539/https://www.al.com/sports/2021/04/hank-aaron-replaces-confederate-general-in-school-name.html |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |access-date=April 13, 2021 |website=[[List of Advance subsidiaries|AL.com]] |publisher=[[Advance Publications]] |ref=ForrestHill}}</ref>

In 2022, a recording of the [[WSB (AM)|WSB]] broadcast of the April 8, 1974, Braves–Dodgers game in which Aaron hit his 715th home run was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Recording Registry]].<ref>{{cite web |date=April 13, 2022 |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022 |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-alicia-keys--ricky-martin--journey-and-more-in-2022/s/fee30140-0454-401c-a2a2-205298e32fb1 |access-date=April 13, 2022 |website=[[Library of Congress]] |language=en}}</ref> In May of the same year, [[Tulane University]] gave Aaron a posthumous [[honorary degree]] of [[Doctor of Humane Letters]], the first posthumous honorary degree ever awarded by the university. It was presented during the university's unified [[Graduation|commencement ceremony]] and was accepted on his behalf by his widow Billye.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Travis |first=Mary Ann |date=May 20, 2022 |title=News Article Imported {{!}} Commencement |url=https://commencement.tulane.edu/news/1650533/class%20of%202022%20praised%20for%20persistence%20at%20unified%20commencement%20in%20yulman%20stadium |access-date=November 15, 2022 |website=[[Tulane University]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Tulane University Unified Commencement Ceremony | website=[[YouTube]] | date=May 21, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFbemgl16mI |language=en-GB |access-date=November 15, 2022}}</ref>

On July 31, 2024 [[USPS]] released a stamp honoring Aaron.<ref>{{cite web|title=Digest: New US Stamps, 2024, part 6 |url=https://findyourstampsvalue.com/news/digest-new-us-stamps-2024-part-6 |website=findyourstampsvalue.com |date=July 31, 2024 |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>