Honoring a Legacy: Remembering Elizabeth Chopin, Pioneer in Austrian Higher Education
February 24, 2025
Elizabeth Ann (Betty) Chopin, St. Louis native and former director of Webster Vienna Private University (WVPU), passed away last month.
Chopin grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Vienna in the 1980s. From 1988 to 1999, Chopin served as director of Webster Vienna, becoming the first woman to lead a university in Austria. She held a law degree and taught as a professor of business law.
"Elizabeth Chopin’s leadership and vision helped shape Webster Vienna into what it is today,” said Samuel R. Schubert, WVPU Associate Director. “As the first woman to lead a university in Austria, she set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire generations of students and educators. Her dedication to academic excellence and international education leaves a lasting legacy.”
Since 2007, WVPU has recognized professors through the Dr. Elizabeth Chopin Endowed Visiting Professorship, donated by her late husband, Reinhard Ortner.
The professorship was created in honor of Chopin's long history of service to the university and the community. The endowment has allowed WVPU to attract world-renowned professors in the fields of business, international relations, art, media and psychology to lecture and share their professional experiences through public forums.
The Visiting Fellowship is awarded twice a year to senior researchers from within and beyond the Webster academic community. Chopin’s remarkable contributions are honored and remembered through this ongoing fund.
Chopin’s family plans to establish a memorial scholarship in her name at Maryville University in St. Louis where Chopin served as student body president.