Theodore Jan Prichard was born on May 28, 1902 in Thief River Falls, Minnesota to William M. and Anita Rabling (Skewis) Prichard. In 1925 he graduated with a B.A. in architecture from the University of Minnesota. One year later he joined the University of Idaho faculty and became an architecture instructor. In 1929 Prichard became the Head of Art and Architecure at the university. Then in 1944 he finished his Masters in Architecture at Harvard University.

Prichard was an active member of the campus community, serving as acting dean and assistant dean for the College of Letters and Sciences, was a member of the executive committee, and was also a member of the Borah Foundation committee from 1960-1967. He was also awarded the Certificate of Merit by the U.S. War Department in 1943 for designing the Farragut Naval Station and the Richland Army Base in connection with the Manhattan Engineer District project. Prichard eventually retired from U of I with the rank of emeritus. He died on December 7, 1974.