Noted philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus, who in partnership with the School of Architecture established the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame, died on March 9, 2021 at the age of 78.
“Richard Driehaus was a tireless champion for the creation of a built environment that is functional, durable and beautiful. Not content to merely make significant improvements to his own city of Chicago, he provided a global forum to amplify the efforts of leading classical architects and urbanists around the world, ensuring that his legacy endures for generations to come,” said Stefanos Polyzoides, Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean of the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture and chair of the jury for the Driehaus Prize. “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family, friends, colleagues and all those whose lives he touched with his generosity.”
A long time member of the School of Architecture's Advisory Council, Driehaus was the founder and chairman of Chicago-based Driehaus Capital Management LLC. He supported historic preservation, new traditional architecture, the arts, culture, democracy and economic opportunity individually and through the efforts of The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Trusts. In 2003, he partnered with the School of Architecture to establish the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame to honor lifetime contributions to traditional, classical and sustainable architecture and urbanism in the modern world. He later expanded that reach to include the Henry Hope Reed Award as well as the Rafael Manzano Prize for New Traditional Architecture in Spain and Portugal.