Rumsfeld has been awarded 11 honorary degrees.
Following his years as CEO, president, and later chairman of G. D. Searle & Company, he was recognized as Outstanding CEO in the pharmaceutical industry by the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981).

Some of his other awards include:
All Navy Wrestling Champion (1956)
The Presidential Medal of Freedom (with Distinction) by President Ford (1977)
George C. Marshall Medal by the Association of the U.S. Army (1984)
Woodrow Wilson Medal by Princeton University (1985)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal (1993)
Lone Sailor Award by the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation (2002)
Statesmanship Award by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress (2003)
Ronald Reagan Freedom Award (2003)
James H. Doolittle Award by the Hudson Institute (2003)
Gerald R. Ford Medal presented by President Ford and the Ford Foundation (2004)
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award by the Boy Scouts of America
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2005)
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor (2004) for his appearance on Fahrenheit 9/11
Union League of Philadelphia Gold Medal for Citizenship (2006)
Claremont Institute Statesmanship Award (2007)
Victory of Freedom Award from the Richard Nixon Foundation (2010)
Order of Anthony Wayne from Valley Forge Military Academy
Special Grand Cordon of the Order of Brilliant Star (2011, Republic of China)
National Flag award from Albania's President Bujar Nishani (2013)
 Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2015)
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger described Rumsfeld as "the most ruthless man" he knew.
Rumsfeld has been awarded 11 honorary degrees. Following his years as CEO, president, and later chairman of G. D. Searle & Company, he was recognized as Outstanding CEO in the pharmaceutical industry by the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981).
Some of his other awards include:
All Navy Wrestling Champion (1956)
The Presidential Medal of Freedom (with Distinction) by President Ford (1977)
George C. Marshall Medal by the Association of the U.S. Army (1984)
Woodrow Wilson Medal by Princeton University (1985)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal (1993)
Lone Sailor Award by the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation (2002)
Statesmanship Award by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress (2003)
Ronald Reagan Freedom Award (2003)
James H. Doolittle Award by the Hudson Institute (2003)
Gerald R. Ford Medal presented by President Ford and the Ford Foundation (2004)
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award by the Boy Scouts of America
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2005)
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor (2004) for his appearance on Fahrenheit 9/11
Union League of Philadelphia Gold Medal for Citizenship (2006)
Claremont Institute Statesmanship Award (2007)
Victory of Freedom Award from the Richard Nixon Foundation (2010)
Order of Anthony Wayne from Valley Forge Military Academy
Special Grand Cordon of the Order of Brilliant Star (2011, Republic of China)
National Flag award from Albania's President Bujar Nishani (2013)
 Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2015)
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger described Rumsfeld as "the most ruthless man" he knew.
Donald Rumsfeld