Jack F. Pries

Jack Preis is a professor of law at University of Richmond where he specializes in constitutional litigation. Growing up, he spent his summers working on grain and cattle farm in Illinois and then, after college, worked in the grain business for Archer Daniels Midland. He is a frequent traveler of the Midwest and Great Plains.

"I first read My Ántonia in college while, during my summers, I was working on a farm in Illinois. When I read the book, I realized that much of what I saw as special about rural life and farming was in fact part of a much more powerful story about the nature of human flourishing," Pries said.

"I believe that Cather's ideas continue to be relevant to a well-lived life and that, through promoting these ideas, the Foundation can improve the lives of those near and far."