Marjorie Whitney Prass was born on Sept. 11, 1918. She began dancing as a child, and by nine was performing in recitals. She also played the piano, and in the eighth grade was chosen to perform in a Chicago Symphony Orchestra educational outreach concert. Prass grew up in Riverside, IL, and in 1935 entered the University of Chicago. She was active in dance and theatrical performances at the University, most notably the Mirror Review, an annual women's dance revue. It was begun as an answer to the all-male Blackfriars musical comedy troupe.
While at the University, Marjorie met future husband Norman W. Prass. He was an avid photographer, and many of the photographs of Marjorie in costume and dancing were taken by Norman. Most of the costumes in the collection were made by Marjorie's mother, Mathilde Muller Whitney.
Prass graduated in 1941, with a degree in History. She and Norman eventually moved back to Riverside, where she lived for most of the rest of her life. Prass remained an active member of the Chicago Dance Council and the Dance for Victory Committee, and an active patron of Chicago dance and theatrical performances. She died on April 8, 2009.
From the guide to the Prass, Marjorie Whitney. Papers, 1927-2008, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)
