On September 29 , 1995 , Coleman was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton . After the July 17 , 1996 , crash of TWA Flight 800 , he served on the President 's Commission on Airline and Airport Security . Coleman received an honorary LL.D . from Bates College in 1975 . Coleman was also awarded honorary degrees from , among others , Williams College in May 1975 , Gettysburg College on May 22 , 2011 , and Boston University in May 2012
TWA Flight 800
TWA Flight 800
William Thaddeus Coleman Jr.