Jeanne Pratt Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Swinburne University of Technology has awarded an honorary doctorate to Victorian philanthropist Jeanne Pratt for her contribution to the Arts, Australian society and to Swinburne.

Jeanne Pratt is the widow of the university’s Foundation Chancellor, the late Richard Pratt.

Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Linda Kristjanson says Jeanne Pratt is well known for her philanthropic activities and her exceptional contribution to the arts.

 She says that together with her husband Richard, she established the Pratt Foundation to support charities throughout the world.

During the 1980s and 90s, the couple became known in Australia for funding the arts, medical research and higher education. Since then the Pratt family has donated about $200 million in grants to worthy causes.

Jeanne Pratt has also actively supported Swinburne, contributing to their research and development foundation, scholarships and the Becton Trust which assists students in financial need who wish to live in Swinburne residences.

For more than 15 years, she has opened her house Raheen for a number of Swinburne alumni events.

Jeanne Pratt is also chair of The Production Company, a Not for Profit theatrical company she established in 1998 to promote and showcase new and established theatre talent and her contribution to society has been formally recognised in a number of arenas. She has received many awards including the Order of Australia, the Companion of the Order of Australia and the Centenary Medal.

Richard Pratt was awarded an honorary doctorate from Swinburne in 2002, recognising his important contribution to the university.