DePauw Stories

DePauw University mourns the loss of Janet Prindle Seidler ’58, a Wall Street pioneer, a generous philanthropist and a beloved daughter of DePauw. She passed away on February 19. She was 88 years old.

Throughout Prindle Seidler’s remarkable career in finance, she consistently defied expectations and redefined success. She will be remembered for breaking new ground for women in the investment management business, emerging as a leader in the movement of socially responsible investing and generously supporting numerous philanthropic causes, including the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw.

“Our DePauw community is heartbroken to lose our dear friend, Janet Prindle Seidler, who also served as an example to me of women’s leadership,” President Lori S. White said. “Janet's commitment to philanthropy and dedication to ethical leadership have provided our community with outstanding programs that enable students to become leaders and thinkers of consequence. Her belief that education can encourage people to live impactful lives in service to others will be her legacy at DePauw.”

Originally from Cleveland, Prindle Seidler followed her sister Anne Prindle Johnson ’54 and brother-in-law David S. Johnson ’53 to DePauw, graduating in 1958 with a major in history. During her time on campus, she was actively involved in numerous student organizations, including the Delta Delta Delta sorority, the Panhellenic Council and the National Student Educational Association.

Following graduation, Prindle Seidler began the pursuit of a career in investment management. Despite many obstacles along the way in a field few women at the time pursued, her perseverance and devotion ultimately prevailed, setting her apart as a leader in a profession occupied almost exclusively by men. She held portfolio management positions with several financial firms, including Bessemer Trust Company, E.F. Hutton and Moody’s Investor Services.

In 1977, she joined the firm Neuberger Berman, where she championed investments in companies that valued their employees, did not harm the environment and did not sell tobacco, alcohol, weapons or nuclear power. She went on to manage the firm’s Socially Responsive Fund, first launched in 1994, and she earned the distinction of becoming the firm’s first woman to be named partner.

Even after her retirement in 2004, Prindle Seidler’s professional influence continued to have a profound impact. Her commitment to conscientious investing has shaped the practice of many investment firms throughout the financial industry, and she is widely considered to be one of the pioneers behind the growth of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI).

In addition to her support for ethics and ethical business practices, Prindle Seidler was committed to many philanthropic causes. She was an advocate for career advancement for women and an active mentor for young professionals. She was a patron of Carnegie Hall, and served on the boards of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Atlantic Classical Orchestra in New York, NY. As a part of her work with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, she established The Janet Prindle Seidler Future Audiences Fund with a transformational gift in 2001. She was also a trustee of the Healthcare Chaplaincy and a founding member of the City Church in New York City.

Prindle Seidler focused a generous portion of her philanthropic support toward her alma mater. She joined DePauw’s Alumni Board in 1983, and the Board of Trustees in 1990. As a Board of Trustee member, she served the university for several decades, becoming an advisory trustee in 2004 and named a life trustee in 2022. She was also the recipient of the Old Gold Goblet in 1997 and received an honorary Doctorate of Public Service from DePauw in 2013.

In addition to sharing her experience and expertise through her service to DePauw, Prindle Seidler was an ardent financial supporter of DePauw throughout her lifetime. She helped establish an endowed chair for the Department of Women’s Studies, now the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, in 1990 and provided the funding for the construction of the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics building, which opened in 2007. In 2014, she made an additional commitment for the institute’s programming, at which time she stated, “The importance of critical thinking about ethical issues was at the forefront of my mind when we established the institute, and I feel even stronger about that need today.”

Since then, the Prindle Institute for Ethics has carried out its unique, national mission from its welcoming headquarters adjacent to DePauw’s Nature Park. Community members from DePauw and around the country connect in person at the institute and through its media platforms to advance thoughtful and reasoned discussions of the quandaries of humanity. The institute fosters ethics and moral reasoning education, dialogue and research, not only for DePauw students, but also for teachers and leaders in business and non-profit organizations.

“I deeply cherished my time with Janet, learning about her life as well as her commitment to ethics education,” said Jeff Dunn, Phyllis W. Nicholas Director of The Prindle Institute for Ethics and associate professor of philosophy. “As she tells it, this commitment was forged as an undergraduate at DePauw and through her unique experiences coming up through the world of New York finance. Thanks to Janet’s support, the Prindle Institute for Ethics has transformed the lives of countless students and has grown to be a national leader in ethics education.”

Prindle Seidler’s impact on DePauw will endure for generations, in the physical architecture on campus and through the university’s ongoing legacy of intellectual and ethical inquiry. Throughout her many decades of service and support, she has faithfully ensured that thousands of students will be equipped to navigate personal, professional and societal challenges with a strong sense of ethical awareness and moral responsibility.

Janet is survived by her beloved husband of 26 years, Charles John Seidler Jr.; two nieces, Kathy Moran ’79 and Sarah Shaffer, and her nephew, Mark Johnson; three stepchildren, Brooke Beck, Blair Hammond and Chip Seidler; and eight grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, Karl Prindle and Mary Rymers Prindle; her sister, Anne Prindle Johnson ‘54; and her brother-in-law, David S. Johnson ‘53.