VENTURA : Patagonia Founder Honored by Yale

The president and founder of the Ventura-based outdoor clothing company Patagonia Inc. has received an honorary doctorate from Yale University.

Yvon Chouinard was among nine business and civic leaders across the country singled out by Yale University President Richard C. Lewis for distinguished work in their fields.

Lewis credited Chouinard with designing a line of clothing and other equipment that allows people to visit the outdoors without damaging the environment.

“Your mountaineering hardware, introduced in the 1960s, allowed climbers to ascend rock faces without leaving indelible scars, or, even worse, discarded metal equipment,” Lewis told an audience of more than 13,000 at a ceremony earlier this week.

“Your own contribution to the protection of the environment and your company’s active participation in this cause provide a model of social responsibility,” Lewis added.

Chouinard was on hand at the New Haven, Conn., ceremony to accept the award. A company spokeswoman said Tuesday that he was still traveling and unavailable for comment.

Patagonia Inc. also has been involved in local politics, backing a series of slow-growth-minded candidates for the Ventura City Council in recent years.