Executive Orders

Executive Order 9637--Medal for Merit

Source: The provisions of Executive Order 9637 of Oct. 3, 1945, 10 FR 12543, 3 CFR, 1943-1948 Comp., p. 439, were amended and restated in their entirety by Executive Order 9857A of May 27, 1947. These provisions appear at 12 FR 3583, 3 CFR, 1943-1948 Comp., p. 646, unless otherwise noted.

1. The decoration of the Medal for Merit shall be awarded only by the President of the United States or at his direction. Awards of the Medal for Merit may be made to such civilians of the nations prosecuting the war under the joint declaration of the United Nations and of other friendly foreign nations as have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on September 8, 1939. Awards of the Medal for Merit made to civilians of foreign nations shall be for the performance of an exceptionally meritorious or courageous act or acts in furtherance of the war efforts of the United Nations.

2. There is hereby established the Medal for Merit Board, which shall be composed of three members appointed by the President, one of whom shall be designated by the President to act as Chairman of the Board.

3. The Medal for Merit Board shall receive and consider proposals for the award of the decoration of the Medal for Merit and submit to the President the recommendations of the Board with respect thereto. In the case of proposed awards to civilians of foreign nations, such recommendations shall include the recommendations of the Secretary of State.

4. The Medal for Merit Board is authorized to prescribe, with the approval of the President, such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this order as may be necessary to accomplish its purposes.

5. Executive Order 9331 of April 19, 1943, and the Medal for Merit Board created thereby, are superseded by this order.

6. The Medal for Merit shall not be awarded for any services relating to the prosecution of World War II performed subsequent to the cessation of hostilities, as proclaimed by Proclamation No. 2714 of December 31, 1946, and no proposal for an award for such services submitted after June 30, 1947, shall be considered by the Medal for Merit Board.

Editorial note: The preamble to Executive Order 9857A reads as follows:
By virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 2 of the act of July 20, 1942, 56 Stat. 662, Executive Order No. 9637 of October 3, 1945, prescribing rules and regulations for the award of the decoration of the Medal for Merit, created by the said act, is hereby amended to read as follows: