Richard Pizitz

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Richard Alan Pizitz Sr (born February 24, 1930 in Birmingham) was president of the Pizitz department store chain from 1966 until its sale to McRae's of Jackson, Mississippi in 1986. He continued the family-owned business as president of Pizitz Management Group, which operates Gus Mayer boutique along with 32 degrees yogurt shops and dozens of American Cookie Co. and Mrs Fields' franchises.

Pizitz was the son of Isadore and Hortense (Hirsch) Pizitz, and grandson of store founder Louis Pizitz. He attended Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and Harvard Business School, graduating in 1953. He then joined the family business and worked his way up through the various merchandising departments as a buyer and manager. He was made an assistant to his father in 1959 and succeeded him as president when Isadore was named chairman and CEO in 1966.

Pizitz has served as president of the Birmingham Better Business Bureau, the Alabama Retail Association, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, and United Way of Central Alabama. He has also served as a member of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He was one of the business leaders pushing for unification of local governments in the "One Great City" of 1970.

Pizitz and his wife, the former Joan Black, have three children, Richard Jr, Jill and Susan.

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