Former University of Utah President Chase N. Peterson will receive the Harvard Medal from the Eastern institution's alumni association.
The award is given annually to recognize service to Harvard University and will be presented this year during the June 8 commencement.
Peterson became the dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard College in 1967, taking a stand against separate admissions committees or standards for minority applicants. His changes to the system included the hiring of Harvard's first African American admissions staff member and the inclusion of black students in recruiting.
Peterson moved on to become the vice president of alumni affairs and development at Harvard, coordinating the largest university capital campaign of that time.
After his Harvard career, Peterson returned to Utah to become the vice president of health sciences from 1978-1983, and then the president of the U.