William B. Pratt, MD (1938-2020)

Dr. Bill Pratt passed away on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at the age of 81. Bill is survived by his wife of 58 years, Diana, his son, Sean, his daughter in law, Holly, and his grandson, Ben. Bill was born in Salem Massachusetts to Doris and Weldon Pratt. He was raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he became an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1960 and from Yale Medical School in 1964. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institut fur Therapeutische Biochemie, Goethe Universitat, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (1964-65), and at Stanford Medical School, Palo Alto, California (1965-67. In 1972-73, Bill was an intern in Pediatrics at Yale University of Medicine. Bill served on the faculty of Pharmacology at the Stanford Medical School from 1967 to 1971. He joined the University of Michigan Medical School Faculty in 1973 serving as an Associate Professor and Professor of Pharmacology. He was an Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at the time of his passing. During his long academic career, he authored seven textbooks, 57 Invited Reviews, and 154 Research Papers. He received the Henry J. Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching at Stanford Medical School in 1970, the Distinguished Faculty Lectureship in Biomedical Research at the University of Michigan in 1996, The Goodman and Gilman Award in Drug Receptor Pharmacology in 2002, and The Allan Munck Prize and Distinguished Lectureship, at Dartmouth Medical School in 2002. Bill was known as a perfectionist, who demanded excellence of himself and his students. He was equally passionate about his recreational pursuits: a love of the mountains, skiing, gardening, and traveling the world. He and his wife have visited over 140 countries. Bill's family shares his passions. In accordance with Bill's wishes, the arrangements are private. Donations in his memory can be made to the Natural Resources Defense Council or Doctors Without Borders.