Title
Honoring the life and mourning the loss of Lewis Katz (1942-2014).
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphia experienced a great loss with the passing of Lewis Katz on Saturday, May 31, 2014; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz was born in Camden, N.J., in 1942, and grew up in the Parkside section of the city, now one of New Jersey's most crime-ridden. He was raised by his mother, a secretary at RCA, after his father died when Mr. Katz was very young; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz was a hardworking and industrious entrepreneur who developed diverse and lucrative business ventures; and
WHEREAS, His entrepreneurship was evident during his time as a student at Temple University, where Mr. Katz, along with a friend and classmate, the comedian Bill Cosby, booked acts for a school show titled The Hour of Pleasure. The two, Mr. Katz recently recalled, were once paid $50 to arrange for the folk-rock group The Mamas and The Papas, then virtually unknown, to play for the show. The band got $35, and Mr. Katz and Mr. Cosby split the rest; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz would go on to attend the Dickinson School of Law, now part of Penn State University. After graduating, he went on to found the law firm Katz, Ettin & Levine, based in Cherry Hill, N.J.; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz's career spanned the fields of law, investment banking and business. After serving as a partner in the law firm of Katz, Ettin & Levine, he led a variety of enterprises, including Kinney Parking Systems, the New Jersey Nets, the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Media Network and Interstate Outdoor Advertising; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz also was director of the Katz Foundation—which supports charitable, educational and medical causes, including an annual prize and endowed visiting professorship in cardiovascular research at Columbia University Medical School, where he served on the Board of Visitors; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz gave back liberally to organizations throughout his hometown. He made generous contributions to help build two Boys & Girls Clubs in Camden and went on to sit on the board of governors for the organization. The two clubs serve nearly 3,000 young people each year; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz also founded two charter schools, the Katz Academies, in the Parkside and Cramer Hill sections of Camden. He also supported an annual scholarship program and field trips for children in the Nazarene Baptist Church Congregation. Mr. Katz made similar contributions to Catholic schools in the region. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Camden said Katz had an "outstanding devotion to humanity ; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Mr. Katz donated millions of dollars to the schools that helped groom him in his youth, including a $25 million donation to Temple University's School of Medicine in May 2014. Mr. Katz also made a $15 million gift to the Dickinson School of Law. In 2009, Penn State University opened the Lewis Katz Building, named in his honor. A year later, the school named a hall in the Carlisle building, Lewis Katz Hall; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Katz's son said, He never forgot where and how he grew up, and he worked tirelessly to support his community in countless ways that were seen and unseen. This is evident in Mr. Katz 's legacy of charity to organizations, schools, and communities in his hometown Camden, and in his adopted second home Philadelphia; and
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it honors and recognizes the great life of Lewis Katz.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Katz Family as further evidence of the sincere admiration and appreciation of this legislative body.
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