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Mary Dell Pritzlaff received the University's 2000 William Greenleaf Eliot Society Award April 11 at the society's 33rd annual dinner, held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Clayton. The award was given in recognition of Pritzlaff's exceptional service to Washington University.
William H. Danforth, chancellor emeritus, presented Pritzlaff with a silver replica of "The Search," a sculpture designed by Heikki Seppä, professor emeritus in the School of Art. The sculpture is part of the collection of the University's Gallery of Art.
"I am delighted that the Search Award was given to Mary Dell Pritzlaff this year," said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. "She is a dedicated and enthusiastic member of the board of Washington University. During my years as chancellor, Mary Dell has provided extraordinary leadership as one of the most distinguished trustees, and she is a valued personal adviser. She has served in areas ranging from the Medical School National Council to the Educational Policy Committee of the board. I am grateful for her wise counsel and generous support of the mission of the University."
Pritzlaff has had a long association with the University, primarily through her 20-year membership on the Board of Trustees. She continues to serve on the board's Educational Policy Committee and has been a member of the National Council for the School of Medicine since 1995.
Pritzlaff's interest in and support of the University have contributed greatly to many initiatives and programs on both the Hilltop and Medical campuses. As a member of the board of trustees of the Monticello College Foundation, she has helped provide important support for the Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowships for Women in Graduate Study at the University. "This is one of our great programs," Danforth noted. "It supports women in graduate school who show great promise of being leaders in their fields."
As a director of the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Foundation, Pritzlaff continues the philanthropic tradition of her parents. Over the years, the University has benefited in many significant ways from the foundation's support.
A former resident of Alton, Ill., and St. Louis, Pritzlaff and her husband, John, a former Arizona state legislator, now reside in Santa Barbara, Calif. She was educated at Monticello and Briarcliff colleges. An active community volunteer, Pritzlaff also is a trustee of Claremont-McKenna College in California and a director of Stratford Hall Plantation in Stratford, Va.
