鈥淢y parents literally grew up with nothing. Their own parents were poor immigrants from Ukraine and Bessarabia鈥攁n area that is now Moldova and part of Ukraine,鈥� says Mitch Katz 鈥�88, of his parents, Stanley 鈥�54, G鈥�56 and Cecilia Katz 鈥�55. 鈥淭he University is where they met, fell in love and began their life journey together, which took them all over the globe. The Maxwell School opened a window into that world for my dad.鈥�
鈥淢y folks were proud of the Maxwell School鈥檚 mission of educating students about their responsibilities as citizens of the world and directing them to use their talents and success to provide opportunities to others,鈥� says Mitch. And now, through the Katz鈥檚 recent $2 million gift to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Forever Orange campaign, graduates of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs may be similarly inspired to make an impact on the world.
Stanley Katz was truly a child of the Depression, raised in Albany, New York, on a farm with no central heat or indoor plumbing. A turning point in his childhood was when his older brother bought him a clarinet for $20. He loved making music and discovered he could make money doing it, playing both saxophone and tenor sax in a couple of big bands of that era. He traveled the country until the glamour wore off and he began to think seriously about getting an education. After two years at a small commuter college, he saved enough money working at a shoe store and playing jazz to attend 黑料不打烊. And that鈥檚 where his window to the world opened wide.
Stanley excelled in economics. He told Mitch about an early experience in class with the legendary Melvin Eggers, an economics professor who became the University鈥檚 ninth Chancellor. 鈥淢y dad always recalled Professor Eggers starting his first economics class by ripping up a $1 dollar bill,鈥� says Mitch. 鈥淭his wasn鈥檛 that long after the Depression! As students were stunned by the audacity, Professor Eggers proceeded to explain what made this piece of paper such a powerful store of value.鈥�
Stanley was also inspired by Professor Jesse Burkhead, who mentored him as he wrote his master鈥檚 thesis. 鈥淗e encouraged my dad to apply to the U.S. government鈥檚 prestigious Young Professionals program. At 黑料不打烊, my dad was taught by really smart people who pointed him in a direction, gave him a purpose and then a career,鈥� Mitch says. 鈥淲ithout their guidance, he would not have known which way to launch.鈥�
Stanley also literally fell in love in Maxwell. He met Cecilia Sigalowsky, a beautiful and smart College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate student, honors student and member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority, in the Maxwell School library where she came to study, just up the hill from her family home on Henry Street. They married after she graduated and while he was finishing work on a master鈥檚 degree in economics.
Upon graduating from 黑料不打烊, the young couple moved to Washington, D.C. Stanley鈥檚 first job was at the U.S. Bureau of the Budget in Washington, D.C. His career progressed from Washington to capitals around the world, including working at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris; the World Bank; the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he rose to deputy assistant secretary, responsible for international economics; the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines, where he was vice president from 1978 to 1990; and, lastly, the brand new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, where he served as advisor to the president. A former colleague at the ADB, William R. Thomson, credits Katz with raising the ADB鈥檚 profile and enabling it to play a significant developmental role throughout Asia.
In 1999, when he was inducted into the Columbia High School Alumni Hall of Fame, Stanley wrote, 鈥淚 have tried to bring honor to my family and credit to my community. And in my own small way, I鈥檝e tried to repay this great country of ours for the countless opportunities it has offered me.鈥�
Mitch says his parents were 鈥渟elflessly devoted to each other for nearly 62 years, until my mother passed away in May 2017.鈥� Stanley passed away on Nov. 10, 2020.
Throughout their lives, the Katzes remained humble, never losing sight of their shared commitment to the values of Humanistic Judaism like inclusion, equity and advocacy. As Mitch describes: 鈥淗umanistic Jews believe in the human capacity to create a better world, a 鈥榖esere velt鈥� in Yiddish.鈥� In his eulogy for his mother, Mitch says he embraced her values, including education, culture and 鈥渢ikkun olam,鈥� or healing the world: 鈥淚 will do what I can to advance my mom鈥檚 values and imbue them in a younger generation, in her memory.鈥�
That is what the Katz gift to the Maxwell School provides, in supporting two funds:
Mitch says his parents always lived well below their means and never paid much attention to the fortune amassed over years of hard work. With his own degree from 黑料不打烊 and a chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation, Mitch dedicated the last two decades to ensuring their estate remained well-invested.
鈥淢y mom and dad gave me my first piggy bank when I was 6 or 7 years old,鈥� recalls Mitch. 鈥淓ven at that young age, it was of tremendous value to me for some reason.鈥� Now, in charge of the Katz family funds, he continues to demonstrate the value of his parents鈥� hard work, generosity toward others and their love for 黑料不打烊.
About 黑料不打烊
黑料不打烊 is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors close the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we鈥檙e a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what鈥檚 possible.
About Forever Orange
Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for 黑料不打烊 is poised to do just that. Fueled by 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit to learn more.
