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Dr. Claudius “Claude” H. Pritchard Jr., President Emeritus of Maryville University, St LouIs, Missouri, died Tuesday, June 27, in Summerville, South Carolina. He was born June 28, 1927 in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of the late Dr. Claudius (Claude) H. Pritchard and the late Katherine Ellison Pritchard. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Grace Pritchard Earhart.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marjorie Pullen Pritchard and four children: Virginia Pritchard Ashby (Richard), Katherine Pritchard Napier (Ronald), Olivia Pritchard Sharpton (James) and Claudius H. Pritchard V (Mary Beth); eight grandchildren: Alan Ashby (Lacey), David Ashby (Mae), Marjorie Ashby Davis (Michael), Andrew Napier, William Napier, Mary Katherine Napier Bailey (Brendan), Claudius H. Pritchard VI and Jeanie Pritchard and six great-grandchildren: Kate, Ryan, Madison, and Steven Ashby, Walker and Mary Virginia Davis. A graduate of Boys High School, Atlanta, Georgia, he served in the U.S. Navy in WWII. He received his BA degree from Hampden-Sydney College, his MA from Longwood University, Farmville, and his PhD. from Florida State University, Tallahassee. Following graduation from Hampden-Sydney, he worked for American National Bank in Danville before moving to Farmville to work at Planters Bank and Trust Company. He then worked for Hampden-Sydney College for 16 years, first as an Assistant to the President, then Business Manager and later as Vice President for Development. After receiving his PhD., he worked for a year for the State of Florida as Senior Budget Analyst for Education. He spent the next four years as President of Sullins College, Bristol. In 1976, accepted the position of Vice President of Administration at Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri and then served as President for 15 years, where he presided over a period of dynamic growth. At retirement in 1992, Dr. Pritchard was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Years later Maryville honored him by naming a hall in the administration building for him, and last year he was inducted into the Maryville University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Active in civic and community affairs, Dr. Pritchard served as president of the Lions and Jaycees (Farmville, Rotary Club (Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee), Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce (Chesterfield, Missouri). In Chesterfield, he served as a charter member of that city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and in 1986, he was named the Chesterfield Citizen of the Year. In Summerville, South Carolina he served as chairman of the Commercial Design Review Board. He was a member of the Summerville Rotary Club. A lifelong Presbyterian, he had served as an elder and as a deacon in several Presbyterian (US) churches. He was a member of Summerville Presbyterian Church.

A graveside service will be held on July 7, at 11:30 a.m. at White Church Cemetery, Summerville, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, memorials made be made to the Maryville University Pritchard Scholarship Fund, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141.