Daniel Ritchie, DU chancellor emeritus, was awarded the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations’ Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Ritchie and more than 90 American citizens will be bestowed with the award on May 7.

According to the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor is “presented each year on historic Ellis Island to a select group of individuals whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to our nation are cause for celebration.”

The award is meant to honor citizens who have dedicated themselves to community service and to “preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of their ancestry while exemplifying the values of the American way of life, and who are dedicated to creating a better world for us all,” according to the NECO’s website.

Ritchie was the chancellor of DU for 16 years from 1989-2005, a Harvard alumnus and former CEO of major communications corporations like the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and Westinghouse Broadcasting. Ritchie has been a main contributor to the School of Engineering and Computer Science by donating property valued at $27 million. He was invited to the university in the 1980s and became the 16th chancellor of DU shortly after. After being the chancellor for 15 years, Ritchie stepped down to work as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2009.

  He will be one of many well known winners of the award. Other recipients include six U.S presidents, former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and other famous Americans like Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, Elie Wiesel and Rosa Parks.