In 1966 he changed his name to Brian Blaine Reynolds, and founded the Academy of Achievement, bringing young people together with statesmen and Nobel Prize winners.
"The number of famous pictures that he made here is astonishing," Steve Fine, the director of photography at Sports Illustrated told The New York Times.
"Instead of following every other shooter to the green, Hy hung back and took his shot from behind Hogan," recalled longtime Sports Illustrated photographer Neil Leifer in an essay in the magazine.
"[3] Another of Peskin's photographs is said to have inspired the set design for the film Rocky: boxer Carmen Basilio leaping into the arms of his cornermen after knocking out Tony DeMarco in their 1955 welterweight title fight.
In 1953, Peskin shot a Life cover and photographic feature of Senator John F. Kennedy and his fiancé Jacqueline Bouvier.
He finished his career on an unfortunate note when technical problems meant that he virtually took no photographs at the first title fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in early 1964.
Under Peskin's leadership, the Academy attracted such prominent people as Elizabeth Taylor, Elie Wiesel, Linus Pauling, Johnny Cash and Willie Mays, among dozens of others—to receive awards and talk with top high school students.