Senator David Pryor, founding Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service who was integral in launching the nation’s first Master of Public Service degree program, passed away on Saturday at the age of 89.
A native of Camden, Ark., Pryor leaves a unique legacy through a career in government and higher education that spanned more than half a century.
He is the only person in Arkansas history to have served in the State Legislature (1960-1966), the United States House of Representatives (1966-1973), as governor of Arkansas (1975-1979), and in the U.S. Senate (1979-1997).
“The Clinton School’s founding Dean, Senator David Pryor, was the epitome of a public service leader,” said Dean Victoria DeFrancesco Soto. “His commitment to bridging divides and bringing people together to solve problems continue to be core to the Clinton School of Public Service. We will miss him dearly and will continue to uplift his legacy of service, education, and leadership.”
In addition to leading the creation of the Clinton School and launching the nation’s first MPS, Pryor’s time as inaugural dean (2004-2006) included overseeing the enrollment and graduation of the school’s first class.
“One year from now, we will be receiving our first class for the Clinton School of Public Service,” Pryor said shortly before the launch of the Clinton School in 2004. “This will be the only school in America that will give a master’s degree in the field of public service. We think it’s something that Arkansas is going to be very, very proud of.”
Following his retirement from the Clinton School in 2006, Pryor remained a consistent figure at the school through his attendance at school functions and events.
He served as the commencement speaker for the Clinton School’s graduating class of 2012. In his commencement address, he challenged the graduates to return “civility” and “bipartisanship” to public service in America.
“We need to build those bridges that have been torn down by fear, hate, distrust and suspicion,” Pryor said.
In 2023, the Clinton School introduced the Founding Dean David Pryor Public Service Award to be presented annually to two graduating students who have demonstrated excellence in public service during their time at the school.
Pryor’s impact on higher education went beyond the Clinton School. Upon his retirement from public office in 1997, Pryor taught classes at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and served as Director of the Institute of Politics for the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University from 2000-2001.
He and his wife, Barbara, established the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, which documents the cultural heritage of Arkansas by collecting audio and video resources to share with scholars, students, and the public.
In 2008, Pryor published his autobiography, “A Pryor Commitment.” He was appointed to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees by Governor Mike Beebe in 2009.
Responses