President George H.W. Bush among those to receive Medal of Freedom

(CNN) -- Former President George H.W. Bush, slugger Stan Musial and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are among the 15 individuals who will receive America's highest civilian honor Tuesday, the White House announced.

The 15 will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is "presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors," the White House said.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama will be at the ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

Along with Bush, Musial and Ma, 12 others will receive the prestigious honor.

The other recipients of the medal will be: German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis; Natural Resources Defense Council co-founder John Adams; poet Maya Angelou; investor Warren Buffett; artist Jasper Johns; Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein; humanitarian activist Tom Little, who was killed in Afghanistan; civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez; Boston Celtics NBA legend Bill Russell; nonprofit leader and former Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith; and AFL-CIO chief John Sweeney.

"These outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds and they've excelled in a broad range of fields, but all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place," Obama said in the statement. "I look forward to awarding them this honor."