2023: Joan Andrews Bell
For her passive resistance methods of protecting preborn children, Bell was arrested over 200 times and spent nearly two years in solitary confinement. During her imprisonment, she wrote a series of letters appropriately titled, You Reject Them, You Reject Me. For Bell, it was simply not possible to do nothing about “the worst mass murder of all.” Now in her mid-70s, Bell is currently in jail awaiting a possible 11-year prison sentence for her involvement in an October 2020 rescue at the Washington Surgi-Clinic late term abortion facility in Washington, D.C.
2022: Cheryl Sullenger
Cheryl Sullenger selflessly served Operation Rescue for over 20 years, contributing to the closure of literally hundreds of abortion clinics by faithfully researching and documenting abortion abuses, courageously reporting on these abuses when the mainstream media ignored them, and overseeing Operation Rescue’s meticulous National Survey for thirteen years – an investigative endeavor that requires countless hours and ever-changing strategies.
2021: Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-TX)
In 2021, Rep. Cain assisted in the creation of the Texas Heartbeat Act, which was enacted on September 1, 2021. In addition to barring abortions after fetal cardiac activity has been detected, that law’s enforcement mechanism is so unique, that it survived every legal attempt to block it. Enforcement is left up to citizens, who are authorized to file civil complaints if they have knowledge or evidence that an abortionist illegally conducted an abortion in violation of the new law.
2020: President Donald J. Trump
President Trump pulled out of the pro-abortion United Nations’ World Health Organization, one of the world’s top promoters and funders of abortion; appointed three Supreme Court Justices, producing the first conservative majority on the High Court in decades, that would later overturn Roe v. Wade. The number of actions taken and overall impact made by Trump to protect innocent unborn life was monumental, making him by far the most pro-life President in modern history.
2019: Samuel Lee
Lee worked as tirelessly as a pro-life lobbyist for 35 years and is known for thinking “outside the box” when crafting some of the m ost effective new bills to protect pregnant women and their babies from shoddy and predatory abortion practices. Due to legislation that he helped to create and pass, Planned Parenthood was prevented from expanding abortions into six Missouri communities. Two Planned Parenthood facilities in Kansas City and Columbia were forced to halt all abortions.
2018: Mark Harrington
Harrington founded Created Equal in 2011, travels the nation’s college campuses with his team of young adults sharing photos of abortion victims and engaging in transformative conversations with students about the matter of abortion. His public outreaches also include urban areas and outside abortion facilities where hearts have been changed and babies saved.
2017: President Donald J. Trump
As President of the United States, Trump had the courage to keep promises made during the campaign that provide greater protections for the pre-born and deny federal funds from those who commit abortions, accomplishing more for the pro-life agenda than any other president in modern history.
2016: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
As Chairman of the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives, Blackburn courageously investigated the shadowy illegal underworld of trafficking in aborted baby remains by Planned Parenthood and others. The investigation included 15 criminal and regulatory referrals made to state and federal authorities seeking further investigations and possible prosecutions of five Planned Parenthood organizations, three organ procurement companies, the University of New Mexico, and others. She also investigated Texas late-term abortionist Douglas Karpen for the alleged murder of late-term babies born alive during abortions at his Houston abortion facilities.
2015: Jeanneane Maxon
As vice president of external affairs and corporate counsel at Americans United for Life, Maxon was instrumental in creating new pro-life legislation that led to abortion clinic closures and historic new lows in abortion numbers.
2013: Bud and Tara Shaver
After an internship with Operation Rescue, Bud and Tara Shaver exposed life-threatening abuses at Southwestern Women’s Options late-term abortion facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They identified state taxpayer funding for abortions and led the nation’s first attempt to ban abortion (at 22 weeks gestation) at the municipal level.
2012: Pre-Born Children
In 1973 most people thought developing children were clumps of cells. Through advances in science and technology coupled with the hard work of the pro-life movement, the humanity of pre-born babies is no longer in question.
2011: Kortney Blythe Gordon
Before losing her life in a tragic accident in 2011, Gordon distinguished herself as a dedicated pro-life leader who touched many lives. As a Students for Life field director, she traveled the nation training, equipping, and encouraging student pro-life leaders. She also served served with Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust as the Director of Campus Life Tours.
2010: Eileen Smith
Smith fought to honor her daughter who died by abortion at the hands of Rapin Osathanond. Her relentless actions led to the permanent surrender of Osathanond’s medical license, permanent closure of his abortion businesses, and a conviction of involuntary manslaughter.
2009: James Poullon
Pouillon was a long-time pro-life street activist from Owosso, Michigan, who was gunned down on September 11, 2009, as he protested abortion outside Owosso High School.
2008: Lila Rose
As a 20-year old UCLA student, Rose made national headlines exposing the wrong-doing at abortion clinics.
2007: Rev. Johnny Hunter
As president of L.E.A.R.N., Inc. (Life Education And Resource Network), the largest African-American Pro-life organization in the country, Rev. Hunter worked to educate the Black community about the massive loss of millions of Black children due to the racially motivated act of induced abortion. As a result, the African American community has become the fastest growing segment of the pro-life movement.
2006: Attorney General Phill Kline (Man of the Year)
As the Kansas Attorney General, Phill Kline initiated courageous investigations into abortionist George R. Tiller and Planned Parenthood for violations of Kansas laws prohibiting the concealment of child rape and illegal late-term abortions.
2006: Leslee Unruh (Woman of the Year)
Unruh spearheaded a controversial South Dakota abortion ban. After the ban was signed into law, it was narrowly defeated at the polls. She faced trmendous adversity in her bold efforts to protect the innocent.
