Ross Pritchard, 1978 October 5 - 1984 January 7

Series

Identifier: U136.04

Staff Only

Abstract

This series contains the Chancellor's records of Ross Pritchard (1924-2020). Pritchard was the 14th Chancellor of the University of Denver, from October 5, 1978 to January 7, 1984. Among other accomplishments, he oversaw the construction and development of the Driscoll University Center, which served as a student union and whose signature pedestrian bridge across Evans Avenue came to be known as a University landmark. He also presided over the University’s acquisition of Colorado Women’s College and its property in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood.

Dates

1978 October 5 - 1984 January 7

Biographical / Historical

Pritchard was born September 3, 1924. He married Emily Gregg in 1948, and the couple had seven children.

Following service in the U.S. Navy, Pritchard earned both his BA and MA in political science and history from the University of Arkansas in 1951. A college football player, he was drafted to play for the then named Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) but opted to pursue graduate studies at Tufts University instead. He earned an MA from the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and in 1954 achieved his PhD in international economics.

Before coming to DU, Pritchard was appointed to the faculty and football coaching staff of what was then Southwestern College at Memphis, Tennessee. He then served as a special assistant to the director of the Peace Corps. In 1972, he served as president of Hood College, a private women’s liberal arts school in Maryland, which he is credited with saving from bankruptcy. In 1975 he assumed the presidency of Arkansas State University, making this university more competitive with the more popular University of Arkansas. He accepted the chancellorship at University of Denver in 1978.

Pritchard’s leadership skills benefited him as chancellor. He purchased the Colorado Women’s College campus, resurrected DU’s engineering school, and oversaw the building of the Driscoll University Center. He raised the University’s enrollment from 7700 in 1978 to 8600 in 1984, and increased the endowment fund from $18.5 million to $22.5 million over the same time period. Despite these achievements, financial troubles continued to plague the University.

DU reported a $2.4 million deficit in 1983, and more than a $1 million deficit in 1984. As a result, Pritchard announced that in 1984 there would be no salary raises for faculty or staff. A majority of DU faculty members voted no confidence in Pritchard, and demanded he resign as chancellor. Reports published by committees of the University Faculty Senate and faculty of the arts and sciences claimed that Pritchard was responsible for “the deteriorating state of the University in general, and of enrollment and development (fund-raising) in particular.” The board of trustees voted unanimously to terminate Pritchard’s employment on 1984, when the chairman of the board Lucien Wulsin named himself interim chancellor.

Pritchard died in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on July 8, reportedly of Alzheimer’s disease.