Lila Prounis Inducted into Hunter Hall of Fame

Lila Jentiles Prounis, a member of Leadership 100, was inducted into the Hunter Hall of Fame, established in 1972 in celebration of the Alumni Association of Hunter College’s 100th Anniversary to commemorate accomplished alumni of Hunter College of the City University of New York in New York City. Prounis, who received her BA from Hunter College in 1948, was acknowledged for her life of public service with a special focus on improving the lives of women around the world.

After graduation from Hunter, majoring in political science and minoring in ancient Greek, she continued her studies at Columbia University, where she earned a Master’s degree in public law and government with a specialization in international law and international relations. She then worked as a program officer for Voice of America, broadcasting to the Near East, Middle East, South Asia and Africa.

In her distinguished career, she presented to the United Nations Commission of Social Development, the United Nations General Assembly, the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, the United Nations Conference on Disarmament and Development, and the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Vienna. In 1995, she attended the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Prounis was one of the first six women elected to the previously all-male Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council and has been its United Nations representative since 1979. She received the Medal of Freedom from the Greek Government and the Recognition Award for Distinguished Service from the Council of Churches of the City of New York. She was president of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Philoptochos from 1968 to 1972 and served as Board member and treasurer of the National Philoptochos Society.

Active in politics as well, Prounis was President of the Women’s National Republican Club for nine years and is currently President Emeritus. She also served on the Advisory Council of New York State Division of Human Rights, the New York City Commission on the Status of Women and the Boards of the American Cancer Society and other not-for-profit organizations.