Pratt President Emeritus Thomas F. Schutte Dies At 89

Thomas F. Schutte, known for his longstanding role as the 11th president of Pratt Institute, recently passed away on March 26, 2025, in New York, at the age of 89. During his 24-year tenure as president, after which he was named president emeritus, Schutte overhauled the Institute, eliminating its deficit, revitalizing the campus, and doubling enrollment. Bolstering the Institute’s reputation as a leading school of art, design, and architecture, Schutte insisted on a holistic approach to learning. Many programs were inspired by Schutte’s lead, continuing on even after his retirement, like students working with Walzworkinc founder Kevin Walz to reinvent shipping containers as social minded residential communities.

“Tom transformed the Institute into a world leader among art and design colleges,” says Pratt president Frances Bronet in a statement. “We mourn the loss of an enthusiastic leader and community giant who was Pratt’s strongest champion for a significant period of the Institute’s prestigious history.”

The Academic Life Of Thomas F. Schutte

Born on December 19, 1935, in Rochester, New York, Schutte earned his BA degree from Valparaiso University, an MBA from Indiana University, and a PhD in management from the University of Colorado. Fully devoting his career to academia, Schutte had a long 42-year run leading prominent art schools, serving as the assistant dean at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and president at the Philadelphia College of Art and RISD before joining Pratt in 1993, where he remained until his retirement in 2017.