Former Arizona State track star and senior associate athletic director Herman Frazier has been recognized by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the McLendon Foundation as a recipient of the 2012 Pioneer Award.
Frazier was the first African-American to have won a Gold Medal and then to return as the Chef de Mission in charge of the United States delegation at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
The Pioneer Award honors minority “firsts” in athletics, and will be presented at the 2012 John McLendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Wednesday, June 27.
Frazier was an eight-time All-American as a Sun Devil, running track & field in the mid-1970s. He was team captain for the 1977 NCAA National Champion track team, during which he won the 400-meter individual championship, and his 4 X 400 relay team that year set a new collegiate record.
He capped his track career by winning two Olympics medals in 1976: A gold medal as the leadoff runner in the 4 X 400 relay and a bronze medal in the individual 400-meter race. He continued his tenure with the Olympics, serving on various committees since 1980, and being named Chef de Mission in 2004 for the U.S. delegation. He is also a two-time Vice President of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Frazier served in athletics administration at Arizona State for 23 years. He went on to serve as athletic director at UAB, the University of Hawai'i and Temple and now serves as deputy athletics director/chief of staff at Syracuse.
