William Henry Danforth

William Henry Danforth II (April 10, 1926 – September 16, 2020) was an American physician, professor of medicine, academic administrator, and philanthropist. He was chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1971 until 1995. Danforth was the grandson of Ralston-Purina founder and St. Louis businessman William H. Danforth, and the brother of former U.S. Senator John Danforth. Early life and education William Danforth was born and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Community School, St. Louis Country Day School, and Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and then transferred to Princeton University, graduating in 1947. After attending Harvard Medical School and interning at Barnes Hospital, he served as a physician in the Navy during the Korean War. Danforth returned to St. Louis and joined faculty of Washington University School of Medicine in 1957 as a cardiologist. This continued a connection to the university started by his grandfather, who had attended the University's Manual Arts School. Career at Washington University in St. Louis Danforth eventually took on administrative duties as vice chancellor for medical affairs at the university. He also did research in the laboratory of husband and wife Nobel laureates Carl Cori and Gerty Cori. As vice chancellor, Danforth provided counsel to Chancellor Thomas Eliot during the 1960s, when there was much student unrest. In 1970, the family philanthropic foundation, of which he was president, made its first major gift to the university, an unrestricted $15 million, five-year grant. With universal support, Danforth was named Washington University's 13th Chancellor in 1971, replacing Thomas H. Eliot. During his 24 years at the helm of the university, he is credited with having brought it to national stature. Chancellor Danforth raised $630.5 million under the Alliance for Washington University, which was the most successful fundraising campaign in U.S. higher education at that time. He established 70 new faculty chairs, grew the endowment to $1.72 billion, oversaw the construction of dozens of new buildings, and tripled the amount of scholarships awarded to students. Almost 60,000 students graduated while Danforth was Chancellor, and retention of undergraduate students grew during his chancellorship. In addition, recruitment of minority students increased.