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Former Ohio University and WOUB Public Media Student Larry Katz is increasing his support of students gaining hands-on professional experience at WOUB Public Media. He recently donated an additional $185,000 to the endowments for The Larry and JoAnn Katz Family Scholarship and The Larry Katz WOUB Sports Student Leadership and Production Fund.
“I recently received a lovely thank you note from the current recipient of our Family Scholarship fund,” said Katz. “In it, the student detailed how she was paying for college herself and how this money would go to assist her in following her dreams. It was so honest, and it touched me. And I asked myself, ‘What I am waiting for?’ So, I took a look at my portfolio and saw I had some stocks that I could use for this gift now rather than waiting until much later.”
Katz worked at WOUB as a student and graduated in 1977. He has lived in New Orleans since then. Katz spent the first part of his work career in the apparel business and nearly 30 years ago changed directions to develop and grow a chain of local breakfast diners, called Dots Diner. He met his wife, JoAnn, while they both were students at Ohio University.
The Larry Katz WOUB Sports Student Leadership and Production Fund provides general support for sports productions and content produced by students working at WOUB. It benefits students working on productions like Gridiron Glory, Hardwood Heroes, The Bobcat Sports Showcase, Ace Nation, SportsBeat, NewsWatch and others. The fund helps pay student wages and/or supporting costs including student travel to cover sporting events. The Larry and JoAnn Katz Family Scholarshipis awarded each year to a student, preferably with involvement at WOUB, especially in athletic programming.
“I have a special affinity for the sports department at WOUB, as I spent four years working tirelessly there. Because of that, I had so many fun opportunities and it so greatly enhanced my college experience,” said Katz. “Family circumstances caused me to not seek a career in sportscasting like I had hoped back then, but if I can help fulfill a dream for one or a few students, it will fill a small regret that I have always carried around with me for a long time.”
As a dedicated former WOUB student, Katz has been a member of the WOUB Alumni Network Engagement Group for nearly four years. The group has helped create the WOUB Mentoring Program , the WOUB Job Connection Program and WOUB Wednesdays , which all connect current and former WOUB students and leverage the professional connections alumni have to help current students with their careers in the media industry.
“I feel it is my duty to do what I can to help any current students get all the help I can give, and I am pleased that I am in a financial position to do so,” said Katz. “It was actually a fellow WOUBer, Doug Drew, that inspired me to start these funds. He beat me to it with his fund (Doug Drew WOUB Student Professional Development Fund), and I hope I might inspire someone else to follow in my footsteps. I spent so many hours in that newsroom and in the Radio and TV Building. It was important to me to leave a little piece of me there. I was delighted to be honored with a plaque and hope that students walking by Doug's plaque, my plaque and the others do the same when they are able. But in the meantime, it makes me happy to know that I am still up there, in spirit, working and looking forward to the future and its’ possibilities.”
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