John Lee Pratt

John Lee Pratt (October 22, 1879 – December 22, 1975) was an American businessman born in King George County, Virginia. He received a chemical engineering degree from the University of Virginia, entered the ranks of American business executives in two major U.S. corporations, and later purchased and helped preserve historic Chatham Manor in Stafford County, Virginia which, upon his death, he gave to the National Park Service (as well as an adjacent bluff to the local government, which named the resulting park after him).

Pratt was a farm boy adept at fixing things. He matriculated at the University of Virginia and received a Chemical Engineering Degree in 1902. After beginning his business career with the DuPont Company and, particularly serving with note during World War I in its Washington State plant, Pratt was selected in 1919 by Pierre S. du Pont to work in a corporation newly invested in by du Pont and other significant, wealthy businessmen—General Motors Corporation, which was founded in 1908 by William Durant. Pratt was, in effect, DuPont's man on the inside, initially solely looking out for DuPont's interests.

Pratt rose to become a member of the corporation's executive committee and, from the 1923 until 1968, served on GM's Board of Directors. He was later a company Vice President and is credited with supporting the idea of holding (as opposed to selling off) what became the Frigidaire Division of GM and encouraging the development of the coolant, Freon. At first, he was assistant to the President of the Company. Later, Alfred Sloan—one of GM's early executives and later President—cited John Pratt as "one of the best businessmen" he had ever known. Unheralded might be another adjective applied to Pratt.

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