The University Athletic Association (UAA) has established the Richard A. Rasmussen Hall of Fame for the illustrious Division III athletic conference and has selected its first full class of inductees this summer. A total of six individuals with direct ties to the University of Rochester are a part of the 36-person class selected in 2025.
 
Additionally, the UAA Hall of Fame formally began in June, 2024, with retiring UAA Executive Director, and Rochester alumnus, Dick Rasmussen, being selected as the namesake and lone inductee.
 
Members of the first class representing Rochester include former University President G. Dennis O'Brien, Josefa Benzoni '88 (women's cross country/track & field), Chris Fite '92 (men's basketball), Terry Gurnett '77 (coach, women's soccer), Nate Micklos '04 (men's soccer), and Nick Palladino '14 (men's golf).
 
Over the past year, a committee was formed with representatives from each institution and the Association office to nominate and select individuals to be included in the first class. To be eligible as a student-athlete, a person must have earned their undergraduate degree from a UAA institution, competed for at least three years in the UAA, and graduated at least 10 years ago. Coaches and administrators become eligible once they have retired from a UAA institution.
 
The first class of inductees includes 25 student-athletes, seven administrators, three coaches and one coach/student-athlete. Each UAA sport is represented in the first class, and each current institution has at least two inductees in the inaugural class.
 
President O'Brien earned his Hall of Fame distinction by being one of the founding administrators of the conference, initially proposing the idea of the UAA in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor William Danforth in the fall of 1984. The following year, O'Brien invited Chief Executive Officers from several major research universities located in large cities to the River Campus to explore the possibility of creating a Division III athletic conference based on academic similarities. O'Brien's efforts led to the formal announcement of the University Athletic Association on June 25, 1986, with eight member institutions making up the conference. O'Brien served as president of the University of Rochester from 1984 to 1994.
 
Athletically, Benzoni is one of the most decorated athletes in school history, participating in three sports during her time on the River Campus, women's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. The 1988 UR graduate was a 3-time NCAA Division III track & field individual national champion and 9-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-American, earning the honor at least once in all three sports. Benzoni ranks #5 all-time in Division III history in the indoor 1500 meters and is also in the top-20 in the 3000 meters. Her efforts helped Rochester finished second at the 1989 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. Within the UAA, Benzoni was a 2-time cross country Runner of the Year and individual champion, helping the Yellowjackets to the team title in 1987. Additionally, she was UAA indoor track Most Outstanding Performer in 1988 and was a 10-time All-UAA honoree, nine of which were individual titles. In track and field, Rochester claimed four UAA conference titles with Benzoni on the roster.
 
Fite, Rochester's all-time leading scorer with 2,066 points over his four years, helped lead Rochester to three straight NCAA Division III playoff appearances, with Rochester claiming its only Division III national title in 1990. Fite was named the Most Outstanding Player at the 1990 Division III Final Four and later earned All-Final Four Tournament Team honors again in 1992, with UR again reaching the championship game. The 1992 graduate from the University was named an National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American in 1991 and 1992, also earned UAA Player of the Year in both of those season. Fite was a 3-time First Team All-UAA selection and helped the Yellowjackets win the conference team title in 1992.
 
Gurnett served as the first Rochester women's soccer coach, leading the team for 33 seasons, from 1978 to 2010. He compiled a 406-131-65 (.728) career record and guided Yellowjackets to back-to-back NCAA Division III titles in 1986 and 1987. Overall, Gurnett's teams made 19 total NCAA appearances, reaching three Final Four's and two other Elite Eight's. Within the UAA, Rochester claimed 12 UAA titles under Gurnett and the Rochester graduate was selected as the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year five times. His overall win total has Gurnett in the top-10 all-time in Division III. Gurnett is still active at the University, currently serving as Associate Director of Athletics for Advancement.
 
The University of Rochester soccer program saw Micklos finish as the all-time leading scorer with 140 total points over his career, scoring 57 goals and adding 26 assists. A 4-time First Team All-UAA selection, Micklos was UAA Player of the Year twice, also earning three National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America honors. With Micklos on the Rochester, Rochester finished the 2005 regular season unbeaten, going 7-0 in UAA play to claim the conference title. Additonally, Micklos was a 2-time College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American and was named the Division III Men's Soccer Academic All-American of the Year in 2005.
 
Palladino finished his career as a 4-time Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-American, earning First Team honors in 2014 after finishing a career-best sixth at the NCAA Division III championships. The 2014 graduate was a 3-time NCAA qualifier, participating at nationals twice as an individual while helping lead UR to a 12th place result as a team in 2014. Palladino is the only 3-time Player of the Year in UAA men's golf history and earned a total of four all-conference accolades. He helped Rochester to the 2013 UAA title and received national recognition as the Phil Mickelson Award winner in 2011, honoring the top Division III freshman golfer. Statistically, Palladino ranks first in Rochester history with a 73.67 career scoring average, leading to a total of 12 event wins and 27 top-5 results.
 
Rasmussen, the UAA Hall of Fame's lone inductee in 2024, also was a University of Rochester graduate, earning his undergraduate degree in 1972. Rasmussen was also inducted into the UR Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024 after his long career spanning time as a student-athlete and coach at Rochester before becoming the first Executive Director of the UAA. Rasmussen played football and baseball at Rochester before transitioning to coaching after graduation. He stayed on to serve as the Yellowjackets baseball coach for 14 seasons, leading the team to its first ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1980. Later, Rasmussen served as leader of the UAA from 1987 to 2024, and during that time, received of several national awards and was recognized as an influential leader within the NCAA.