| 100% | HAWKING | 7 | Presidential Medal of Freedom winning British scientist Stephen ___ whose book "A Brief History of Time" was a record-breaking best-seller |
| 37% | SALK | 4 | Scientist who won a 1977 Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 34% | HAWKING | 7 | Stephen __, author of A Brief History of Time |
| 34% | HAWKING | 7 | Stephen, author of A Brief History of Time |
| 32% | YOYOMA | 6 | Musician who won a 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 32% | STEPHENHAWKING | 14 | Physicist who won a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 32% | DENIRO | 6 | Actor who won a 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 31% | HAWKING | 7 | Stephen —, British theoretical physicist whose books include The Nature of Space and Time |
| 31% | ELLEN | 5 | ___ DeGeneres who is the recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 31% | RUBINSTEIN | 10 | Polish-born musician who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 31% | MORENO | 6 | Rita who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 |
| 31% | ANSEL | 5 | Adams who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980 |
| 31% | PAT | 3 | Coach Summitt who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 |
| 31% | MENDEZ | 6 | Civil rights activist Sylvia who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 31% | HAWKING | 7 | "A Brief History of Time" author Stephen |
| 30% | OPRAH | 5 | Media mogul Winfrey who was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 |
| 30% | PAT | 3 | Former basketball coach Summitt who was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 |
| 30% | HAWKING | 7 | Author of "A Brief History of Time": Stephen __ |
| 30% | GRACE | 5 | ___ Hopper, computer scientist who was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2016 |
| 29% | STEPHENHAWKING | 14 | British scientist who performed groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology and authored "A Brief History of Time": 2 wds. |
| 29% | TIME | 4 | "A Brief History of ___," Stephen Hawking book |
| 29% | STEPHEN | 7 | With 34-Across, "A Brief History of Time" author who is an atheist |
| 28% | CURIE | 5 | Two-time Nobel Prize winning scientist Marie ___ whose doctoral dissertation was published as a book titled "Radio-Active Substances" |
| 28% | HAWKING | 7 | Physicist responsible for A Brief History of Time |
| 28% | HAWKING | 7 | Professor who wrote A Brief History of Time |
| 28% | DOROTHYHEIGHT | 13 | Presidential Medal of Freedom-winning civil rights activist honored with a Black Heritage U.S. postage stamp in 2017 (2 wds.) |
| 28% | CHITA | 5 | Tony-winning singer/dancer Rivera who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 |
| 27% | ISAACSTERN | 10 | Musician with a Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 27% | PABLOCASALS | 11 | Cellist with a Presidential Medal of Freedom |
| 27% | TONI | 4 | Morrison with a Presidential Medal of Freedom |