Joseph M. Katz Day 

Our graduate school is named after Joseph M. Katz (1913 to 1991), an entrepreneur who founded a gift-wrap manufacturing company, the Papercraft Corporation. On January 14, 1987, Pitt announced the largest donation in the school’s 200-year history: $10 million from Joseph and Agnes Katz. In the announcement, Mr. Katz said he wanted to support efforts to instill “a sense of the entrepreneurial spirit” in Pitt’s graduate business students.

On September 30, 2025 the University of Pittsburgh community will observe Joseph M. Katz  Day, in honor of alumnus and philanthropist Joseph M. Katz. The day celebrates Katz’s transformative gift to the university, which led to the naming of its business school in 1987 and helped establish its legacy of entrepreneurial spirit and academic excellence. 

Katz Day serves as a moment for students, faculty, alumni, and friends to reflect on the impact of visionary giving, to honor Katz’s commitment to business education, and to renew inspiration for innovation and community engagement at Pitt.