The annual Jane and Whitney Harris St. Louis Community Service Award honors Jane and Whitney Harris’ service to the St. Louis metropolitan area by recognizing a local couple who shares their civic values and makes important contributions to the advancement of the region.

Gary (left) and Marilyn (right) Ratkin receive the Harris Award from Mary McKay
Mary McKay, who was then executive vice provost, presented the award to Gary Ratkin, MD ’67 (left) and Marilyn Ratkin, AB ’66 (right)

2026 Honorees: Gary and Marilyn Ratkin

Gary Ratkin, MD ’67, and Marilyn Ratkin, AB ’66, received the 2026 Jane and Whitney Harris St. Louis Community Service Award on June 23. The Ratkins were recognized for their dedication to the greater St. Louis community through their service and leadership. 

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About Jane and Whitney Harris

The Harrises served as a guiding force for countless charitable activities in St. Louis, holding leadership positions at numerous institutions—including Fontbonne University, the Judevine Center for Autism, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, among others.

They also provided broad-based support to Washington University. Over the years, they contributed to the University Libraries, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the Brown School, the Danforth Scholars Program, Edison Theatre, and the Friends of Music Scholarship Program. The university’s Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute is named in recognition of Whitney Harris’ achievements in the field of international justice and his support of legal education and research.

For more information on the award and how to submit a nomination, email harrisaward@wustl.edu.

Past honorees

2000 Lucy and Stanley Lopata, AB ’35
2001 Alice and Leigh Gerdine
2002 Ann and Lee Liberman, MA ’94, PhD ’04
2003 Elizabeth and William Danforth
2004 Marilyn and Sam Fox, BSBA ’51
2005 Mary Ann and Des Lee, BSBA ’40
2006 Alvin and Ruth Siteman, BS ’75
2007 Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg, BA ’66
2008 Thelma and David Steward
2009 Barbara and Andrew Taylor
2010 Gerry and Bob Virgil, MBA ’60, DBA ’67
2011 Maxine Clark and Bob Fox
2012 Priscilla and Sanford McDonnell, MS ’54

2013 Kimmy and Stephen Brauer
2014 Peggy and Jerry Ritter
​2015 Noémi and Michael Neidorff
2016 Anabeth and John Weil
2017 Anne and John McDonnell, BA ’64, MBA ’14
2018 Marylen Mann, BA ’57, MA ’59, and Frank Jacobs
2019 Sue and Jerry Schlichter
2021 Judy and Jerry Kent, BSBA ’78, MBA ’79
2022 Alison and John Ferring
2023 Lelia and David Farr
2024 Mary and Tom Stillman
2025 Kim and Tim Eberlein