SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah’s board of trustees has announced U. alumni Gail Miller and Conrad Anker will be presented with honorary doctorate degrees during the annual commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 4, in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
“As innovators, visionaries and committed public citizens, Gail Miller and Conrad Anker are richly deserving of our most prestigious award,” said Julie Barrett, chairwoman of the board’s honors committee.
Miller, one of Utah’s most prominent business leaders, runs numerous businesses founded by her and her late husband, Larry H. Miller, including sports franchises, more than 60 car dealerships, movie theater complexes and many other automotive-related ventures. She recently transferred ownership of the Utah Jazz into a legacy trust in an unprecedented move to keep the franchise in Utah for generations to come.
Miller is also a heralded philanthropist and has significantly helped Utah communities through her gifting and various programs, including the creation of the Larry H. & Gail Miller Enrichment Scholarships at the University of Utah. These 40 full-ride scholarships promote diversity by providing financial assistance to those whose ethnic background is underrepresented in higher education or who are first-generation students.
Anker is a world-famous rock climber, mountaineer and author. He is best known for his perilous climbs in the Himalayan mountain range and Antarctica. He has traversed the northern reaches of Alaska and Baffin Island down to the southern tip of Patagonia and Antarctica.
Anker, with partner Peter Croft, climbed Spansar Peak in Pakistan in a single day, making them the first two people to ascend the 7,000-foot ridge. He has summited Everest multiple times and, in 1999, gained mainstream fame when he discovered the body of George Mallory, who disappeared during an attempt to be the first to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1924. Anker is featured in the award-winning documentary “Meru,” which details his ascent of the notoriously dangerous Shark’s Fin on 20,700-foot Mount Meru, a peak that has eluded many professional climbers.