Bookplates

The Mertie Cady Pritchard Memorial Book Fund

July 1, 1978

This fund was established in 1978 by Walter H. Pritchard, M.D., Class of 1932, and the Pritchard family and friends, in memory of Dr. Pritchard’s mother, Mertie Cady Pritchard.

After arriving on College Hill in 1928, Walter Pritchard quickly immersed himself in many aspects of Hamilton life. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and active with student government, serving as the President of his class. By the time of his graduation he had captained three varsity teams: basketball, cross-country, and track. In fact, he was such a gifted runner that he even competed in the 1932 Olympics held in Los Angeles, where he placed 7th in the grueling 3000 meter steeplechase. He was elected to all four class honorary societies: Pentagon, Was Los, D.T., and Quadrangle before receiving his diploma in 1932, with a major in biology and chemistry.

Following his time at Hamilton, Walter began a career as a distinguished clinical researcher and teacher. He received his M.D. degree in 1936 from Harvard, and among his many accomplishments in the medical field, he is credited with performing the first successful defibrillation procedure to restart a patient’s heartbeat.