A “Katz Day” celebration on September 30, 2025, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business honored the generosity of Joseph M. Katz. The day included a proclamation from the city of Pittsburgh honoring the philanthropic efforts of this entrepreneur.
Members of Joseph M. Katz’s family attended the day-long celebration, which brought together faculty, staff, alumni, and current students. Through casual conversations, faculty presentations, an alumni panel, and videos, Pitt Business showed the Katz family the impact their gift has on the school and in the lives of current students, faculty, and graduates.
In 1987, Katz and his wife Agnes donated $10 million, the largest single donation to the university at that time. In today’s dollars, that amount would be $28.5 million. According to Katz, he wanted to support efforts to instill “a sense of the entrepreneurial spirit” in Pitt’s graduate business students.
Katz started the Papercraft Corporation, a gift-wrapping manufacturer, in 1945 with $10,000. According to the New York Times, the company was acquired for about $240 million in 1996.
“[Katz’s] legacy lives on in every student who walks through the doors of Mervis Hall, every alumnus who leads with an entrepreneurial mindset, and every faculty member who is preparing and inspiring the next generation of business leaders,” said Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean Gene Anderson. “The foundation laid by Joseph and Agnes has ignited innovation, transformed lives, and set our School on an exceptional trajectory.”
Entrepreneurial Spirit Lives On
Katz’s grandson, Jonathan Plessett, addressed the audience, sharing stories about his grandfather’s work ethic and a few of his memories growing up with him. He remembers skipping school the day of his grandfather’s dedication, and he continued that tradition by bringing his son to see the Katz legacy in action.
Plessett admitted that he looked up to his grandfather as a child, and now, he has a deeper appreciation of him.
“Today, I’m just as impressed with Joe Katz, but I see him through the lens of a 50-year-old businessman. I see the hard work, the sacrifice, and the determination it takes to be an entrepreneur.”
A Holiday to Honor Joseph M. Katz
In recognition of Katz’s contribution to the University and the entire city of Pittsburgh, the City of Pittsburgh named September 30, 2025, Joseph M. Katz Day. Pitt Provost Joseph McCarthy read Mayor of Pittsburgh Ed Gainey’s proclamation.
The Business School’s alumni are in nearly 90 countries. Yet, since many entrepreneurs and business leaders have stayed in the Pittsburgh area, his legacy has a positive impact on the city’s business community.
We are honored to continue the work that Joseph M. Katz started, ensuring that our graduate students lead with compassion, innovation, and positive impact.
To read additional coverage of the event, visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Pittsburgh Business Times.