McGovern was named as a fellow to various scientific and medical organizations including the American Association of Pediatrics (1952), the American Association of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (1955, Distinguished Fellow in 1971), American Medical Writers Association (1967), American College of Physicians (1971), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1972), Royal College of Physicians (honorary, 1984) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (1998).[20]