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Ralph Eugene Pratt ’50

Ralph grew up in northeast Portland and served with the navy in the Pacific during World War II. He wrote a thesis on the welfare economics and consumer cooperation with Prof. Arthur H. Leigh [economics 1945–88] and earned a BA in economics. In 1953, Ralph and Evelyn F. Norell, or Evie, were married. They had two daughters, Melanie and Clare, and a son, Bruce. Ralph was the director of finance at the Double T Holding Company and worked for Halton Tractor, and Evie taught science. They traveled, enjoyed folk dancing, rafted, and were active in the West Hills Unitarian Fellowship. Ralph taught folk dancing at Reed for many years and led folk dancing events for Reunions for a decade. Following the death of their son in 1985, Ralph and Evie volunteered for many years with the Dougy Center. “A lover of coffee, beer, liberal politics, Mount Hood, the Gorge and the coast, Ralph was a true Oregonian.” Survivors include Evie, their daughters, and three grandchildren. Ralph’s cousin, Charles H. Hawkins ’52, also graduated from Reed.

Appeared in Reed magazine: December 2015

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