Guide to the Papers of Nathan M. Katz, 1922-1951 (bulk 1934-1947)
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Papers of Nathan M. Katz
- Creator
- Katz, Nathan M., 1889-1950
- Collection Number
- MSS#280
- Extent
- .75 cubic feet (2 boxes)
- Date
- 1922-1951
- Date
- 1934-1947
- Abstract
- Born in Warsaw, Poland, on March 17, 1899, Nathan M. Katz came to America with his parents when he was six years old. A long-time member of B'nai B'rith, he sought to advance the principles of the organization's Anti-Defamation League. His interests extended beyond the Jewish community, however. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Interracial Committee, as well as a board member of the International Council of Pittsburgh. The papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, speeches, programs, and other items documenting both his legal career and his participation in the activities of fraternal and civic organizations.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
Biography of Nathan M. Katz (1899-1950)
Born in Warsaw, Poland, on March 17, 1899, Nathan M. Katz came to America with his parents when he was six years old. He attended Franklin Public School and, in 1912, enrolled in Fifth Avenue High School. Following his graduation in 1916, he worked in a commercial office during the day and took classes at Duquesne University in the evening, eventually earning a law degree. In 1922 he was admitted to the bar and began what later became a highly successful legal career.
Mr. Katz supplemented his legal work with a prominent role in the activities of various fraternal and civic organizations. A long-time member of B'nai B'rith, he sought to advance the principles of the organization's Anti-Defamation League. For a time, he served as President of B'nai B'rith District 3, an area encompassing Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and West Virginia.
His interests extended beyond the Jewish community, however. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Interracial Committee, as well as a board member of the International Council of Pittsburgh. For his service on the Pittsburgh Round Table of the National Council of Christians and Jews, he received a certificate of merit.
For several years Mr. Katz worked on the Civic Unity Council, an agency committed to the establishment of cooperative relations among various cultural, racial, economic, social, and religious groups. He was also president of both the Jewish Welfare Fund and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Pittsburgh, both of which organizations aspired to the goal of promoting understanding among religious and ethnic groups within the community. The scope of Mr. Katz's work for intercultural harmony extended to the national scene with his membership on the Executive Committee of the National Community Relations Advisory Council. Believing that a broad education provided the foundation for ethnic understanding, he took an active part in the programs of the Council on Intercultural Education.
Mr. Katz had a good command of Yiddish and a thorough knowledge of Jewish folklore and history. Moreover, he had a keen appreciation of music, art, and literature and encouraged others to develop their artistic abilities. His frequent public addresses included speeches to open fund drives, a futuristic view of the post-war world, and the history of parody and satire in Jewish literature. Mr. Katz died in March 5, 1950.
Scope and Content Notes
The papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, speeches, programs, and other items documenting both his legal career and his participation in the activities of fraternal and civic organizations. Several of the folders contain abundant records dated 1946 to 1947 of the Civic Unity Council, on which Mr. Katz served. Correspondence, membership lists, minutes, monthly reports of the executive director, copies of by-laws, and newspaper clippings give a comprehensive insight into the affairs of the Council. Similarly, the many items in the Community Relations Committee folders furnish an excellent description of the activities of the Committee from 1945 until 1947. The B'nai B'rith materials, dated 1935 to 1945, among which are newspaper clippings, copies of radio addresses, and letters, reflect Mr. Katz's long involvement in the work of the organization. A copy of a 1951 memorial address by Samuel L. Fuss provides additional information about Mr. Katz's role in civic and fraternal groups, as well as some details about his personal life. The collection contains only minimal correspondence, dated 1935 to 1945, which consists mainly of invitations to conferences and requests for speaking commitments. Copies of several speeches given by Mr. Katz demonstrate the wide range of his interests. Two folders contain various types of anti-Semitic materials, such as pamphlets, newsletters, newspaper clippings, and booklets, collected by him. Two additional folders include magazine clippings on race relations and various articles on Jewish issues. Among the miscellaneous items are programs of Jewish conferences and social events and a large series of Duquesne University Law School lecture notes from 1922.
Arrangement
The Nathan M. Katz Papers are housed in two archival boxes and are arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials came in one accession in 1994.
Acc# 1994.0215 Gift of Lois Katz Blaufeld,(Papers.Daughter of Nathan M. Katz).
Preferred Citation
Papers of Nathan M. Katz, 1922-1951 (bulk 1934-1937), MSS #280, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Dorothy Kish and Craig Moore on February 17, 1998.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Doug MacGregor on August 22, 2001.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
Subjects
- B'nai B'rith -- Anti-defamation League
- B'nai B'rith -- Pittsburgh Lodge no. 44
- Civic Unity Council (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Duquesne University
- Jewish Community Relations Council (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Rosenberg's Jewelry Store (South Fork, Pa.)
- United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh
- Katz, Nathan M., 1889-1950
- Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Jews
- Jews -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Jewish Organizations -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Law -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Law school -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh