John J. Pruis obituary

John J. Pruis, a former Western Michigan University vice president, professor and secretary to the Board of Trustees, died Jan. 15 in Muncie, Indiana. He was 92.

Pruis joined the WMU faculty in 1955 as an associate professor of speech and left the University in 1968 to become the seventh president of Ball State University.

He held a variety of positions at WMU including vice president for administration, acting assistant dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, assistant to President James W. Miller, secretary to the Board of Trustees, and director of summer session for the Campus School.

Active in the local community, he was general chair of Kalamazoo’s Community Chest Red Cross Campaign and Kalamazoo County’s American Red Cross Cancer Crusade.

Pruis earned a bachelor’s degree from WMU in 1947 and a master’s and doctoral degree from Northwestern University.

Services

A memorial service will take place in the spring.