Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation

Title of entry: A Long Overdue Degree

About this entry: When UND’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion held a ceremony celebrating the Noble Nine, we wanted to share this fascinating and important information with our readers. We were especially interested in learning more about Hilyard James Duty, UND’s first graduate of Color, and what transpired for him to be awarded a posthumous degree in the spring of 2024.

Little did we know the work behind the event and all the research required by our university diversity staff. They were like investigators finding our first graduate of Color. Their journey, sparked by a student question, led to finding Duty and created a Noble Nine movement.

The goals of this story were to educate readers about Hilyard James Duty and the rest of the Noble Nine, while also recognizing the dedication of Stacey Borboa-Peterson and Shelby (DeGeldere) King in uncovering and preserving this important piece of UND history.

Beyond highlighting their research, we aimed to show how UND is working to acknowledge and address past injustices. By sharing this story, we hoped readers would gain a greater understanding of UND’s history, celebrate those committed to inclusion, and demonstrate the institution’s ongoing efforts to make meaningful progress.