Excerpted from YAA press release:

Since its inception, the Yale Medal, the highest honor presented by the Yale Alumni Association, has been presented to more than 300 individuals who have shown extraordinary devotion to Yale’s ideals and demonstrated their support through extensive, exemplary service to the university and its schools, institutes, and programs.

Like their predecessors, this year’s recipients have made significant and lasting contributions to Yale – as volunteers, fundraisers, trailblazers, and difference-makers, rallying the alumni community to support the university, supporting students to achieve their very best, and guiding a new generation of alumni leaders to continue Yale’s tradition of service.

The 2021 Yale Medalists are Ralph Dawson ’71, Thomas S. Leatherbury ’76, ’79 JD, Neil A. Mazzella ’78 MFA, Kevin P. Nelson ’92 MPH, and Lise Strickler ’82. They will be officially honored in a special ceremony to be held virtually later this year.

Ralph Dawson ’71

Dawson is a seminal figure in Yale’s history, a student activist who transitioned to alumni leader, working tirelessly to create a better, more inclusive university and blazing a trail for all who came after him. His work began early, when as a first-year student he teamed with upperclassmen to organize Yale’s groundbreaking symposium, “Black Studies in the University.” Subsequently, he played a pivotal role in the creation of Yale’s African American Studies Department and became a key member in – and the eventual moderator (president) of – the Black Student Alliance at Yale, working with BSAY’s leadership to push for the creation of the Afro American Cultural Center (“the House”) and lobbying the university to allow women as undergraduates. He also was instrumental in maintaining calm on campus during the 1970 May Day demonstrations. Dawson has extended his involvement as an alumnus, organizing mini reunions for Black alumni, staying active in Class of 1971 events, and participating on alumni panels to inform admitted students about the benefits of attending Yale. Notably, he raised money and awareness to spur the landmark renovation of the House in the early 2000s and has been a regular contributor at House events. A loyal friend and dedicated mentor, he has remained active in both the alumni and undergraduate communities, supporting students to make the most of their Yale experience and working to ensure that Yale is its very best as an institution.

Your Yale classmates congratulate you, Ralph!