“Recognized, respected and loved.”
These were the words that Lewis Katz, CST ’63 used to describe Temple University in his award-winning 2014 commencement address – and these are the words that Temple uses to describe Lewis.
Lewis Katz earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Science and Technology in 1963. After earning a BS in biology from Temple, Katz graduated first in his class from the Dickinson School of Law. Katz's career spanned the fields of law, sports, media, banking, business, publishing and philanthropy.
Katz was the founder of the Katz Foundation—which for more than a quarter of a century has supported charitable, educational and medical causes, including an annual prize in cardiovascular research. He built charter schools and Boys & Girls Clubs in Camden, NJ and Jewish Community Centers in Camden and Atlantic County NJ. He also served on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The National Constitution Center, as well as Board of Governor for the National Basketball Association.
In addition to his service as a trustee of Temple University, he also served on the boards of the Temple University Health System and Fox Chase Cancer Center. He was granted an honorary degree May 15, 2014, for a lifetime of support for Temple University.
He leveraged his success in law, media and business to benefit the organizations he prized—especially Temple. His last charitable gift – a gift of $25 million to support Temple’s medical school and endow a chair for its dean, remains the largest in university history.
The values Lewis embodied — determination, making a difference and paying it forward — are the same values that define LKSOM -educated physicians.
In October 2015, in recognition of Katz’s commitment and his lifetime of efforts on behalf of the university, Temple’s Board of Trustees officially named the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.