By Sydney Goitia-Doran, The Seattle Medium
The University of Washington last week honored the lasting impact of three distinguished professors—Dr. Lois Price Spratlen, Dr. Thaddeus Spratlen, and Marvin Oliver—by renaming two of its residence halls in their memory. Willow Hall is now Oliver Hall, and Madrona Hall has been renamed Spratlen Hall, recognizing the Spratlens’ pioneering work in education, social justice, and community leadership.
The Spratlens were prominent figures in Seattle’s African American community and trailblazers in their respective fields. Dr. Lois Price Spratlen, a psychiatric nurse, earned degrees from Hampton University and UCLA before completing her doctorate in urban social planning at UW in 1976. She broke barriers as a professor and the university’s ombudsman, serving both roles with distinction. Her legacy continues through the Lois Price Spratlen Foundation, which awards scholarships to aspiring psychiatric nurses. Proceeds from her book, African American Registered Nurses in Seattle: The Struggle for Opportunity and Success, help fund the Mary Mahoney Scholarship Endowment.
Her husband, Dr. Thaddeus Spratlen, a graduate of Ohio State University, taught at Western Washington University and UCLA before making history at UW in 1972 as the first Black faculty member in the Foster School of Business. His research on race and ethnicity in business helped shape a generation of students. He launched a class that paired students with minority-owned local businesses for hands-on consulting, an initiative that eventually grew into the university’s nationally recognized Consulting and Business Development Center.
Vivian Lee, a retired nurse and 1958 UW School of Nursing alumna, praised the recognition of the Spratlens’ lasting contributions. A longtime friend of the couple, Lee worked closely with them through the UW Alumni Association’s Multicultural Alumni Partnership and the Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization, where the Spratlens supported scholarship efforts for many years.
“I must say, I was really happy to hear about the change from describing places in the Northwest with dormitory names to having people honored who had done superior jobs in promoting diversity within the university and the community,” Lee said.
“[The Spratlens’] dedication to community involvement and education of Black and other students of color was just their entire [mission],” continued Lee. “They helped Black businesses, they were leaders in making Seattle’s Black community a part of the local community. So, we were glad they were here, and they breathed a lot of new blood into organizations.”
Throughout the dedication event, speakers acknowledged the significance of the university’s location on Indigenous land—a reminder of the deep cultural ties and histories connected to the campus. This acknowledgment set the stage for honoring Marvin Oliver, a 1973 UW graduate renowned as both an artist and an advocate for Native American students.
Oliver studied art and history before joining the UW faculty as a professor in the Department of American Indian Studies and the School of Art. Beyond his acclaimed artwork, Oliver was known for championing Indigenous students and promoting cultural awareness on campus. His son, Owen Oliver, spoke of his father’s legacy.
“Something that comes up a lot about my father is that he was an artist, and that is true, but I think what he would like to be remembered as is an educator,” Owen said.
He also shared memories of the Native Graduation tradition—originally called Raven’s Feast—that Marvin Oliver started. This annual event celebrated Indigenous graduates with a special ceremony, capped by the presentation of a unique silkscreen print created by Oliver himself.
“The first year there were about two Native graduates, that was easy,” Owen recalled. “Then three, then four, and before he passed away in 2019, our family gave away 93 prints.”
The event drew an audience of university leaders, community members, and family, with remarks from Seattle First Lady Joanne Harrell, UW President Ana Mari Cauce, and UW Regent Dr. Constance Rice. UW Board of Regents Chair Blaine Tamaki underscored the importance of inclusive naming practices as part of the university’s ongoing work toward equity.
“As chair of the Board of Regents, I am so proud to take one step toward recognizing our heroes of color instead of just naming our buildings after billionaires and multimillionaires who have vast resources to finance their naming legacies, or the naming of buildings after the exclusive club of former presidents of the university, or the naming of our buildings after trees,” Tamaki said, prompting laughter from the crowd.
Closing the ceremony, Townsend Price-Spratlen, one of the Spratlens’ five children, honored his parents’ legacy in a heartfelt speech that resonated with the audience.
“I begin today to recognize that while mom and dad are not here today on the life side, they are in the ancestral realm, they are very much here in the memories and moments each of us may conjure in our hearts and in our spirits,” Price-Spratlen said. “When we think of them and when we call their name, as folks will do on move-in day when they’re going, ‘Which dorm are you going into?’ Oliver dorm and Spratlen dorm.”
