The John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies is an American think tank based in Dallas, Texas, and now associated with Southern Methodist University.
The primary mission of the Tower Center is to promote the study of politics and international affairs and to stimulate an interest in ethical public service among undergraduates.
The Tower Center is an academic center where all parties and views are heard in a marketplace of ideas, and the Center pursues its mission in a non-partisan manner.
[1][better source needed] The Medal of Freedom is the highest honor the Tower Center bestows.
It is awarded in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the advancement of democratic ideals and to the security, prosperity and welfare of humanity.