Donald Pritzker


Donald Nicholas Pritzker was an American businessman. He was a member of the Pritzker family and served as the president of Hyatt, where he helped grow the hotel chain.

Early life and education

Pritzker was born to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Fanny and A. N. Pritzker. He had two older brothers: Jay Pritzker and Robert Pritzker. Pritzker studied at the Francis W. Parker School, and graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University as well as a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Career

In 1961, after he graduated from law school, he went to work for the family company, the Marmon Group. His elder brother Jay Pritzker assigned him the task of managing the Hyatt Hotel chain. Donald moved to Atherton, California, and went about developing the chain and soon became Hyatt's president. In 1967, the Pritzkers bought a newly built hotel in downtown Atlanta out of bankruptcy which had an unusual design consisting of a 21-story atrium lobby with external glass elevators, fountains, and caged tropical birds. Donald renamed it the Hyatt Regency Atlanta; it became an instant success and served as the architectural model for all future Hyatt hotels.
Donald was credited with "setting the tone for the culture and philosophy at Hyatt" and presided over its growth from a six hotel chain to the 5th largest hotel chain in the world at the time of his death.

Personal life

On June 10, 1958, Donald Pritzker married Sue Sandel, daughter of Albert L. Sandel and Dorothy J. Craig. She also studied at the Francis W. Parker School and graduated from Radcliffe College. They had three children:
Pritzker died in 1972 at age 39 of a heart attack while playing tennis at a Hyatt hotel in Honolulu. His wife died 10 years later in an accident at age 49.