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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.For more than five decades, the Tansky name has been a fixture on the University’s Pittsburgh campus, and in honor of the family’s most recent $750,000 gift to the University Library System, it will forever be part of the Hillman Library.
Pitt will celebrate the naming of the Tansky Family Commons on the main floor of the newly renovated library. It echoes the space on the first floor of the William Pitt Union that also carries the Tansky name. The University officially dedicated the space on Sept. 25.
The most recent gift was made in honor of Burt Tansky by Trustee Emeritus Eva Tansky Blum (A&S ’70, LAW ’73) along with the Tansky Family Foundation, which includes Burt’s wife, Rita J. Tansky. The new fund will provide support for student experiential learning, technology-rich spaces within the library and unique special collections.
“The Tansky family is synonymous with supporting the human potential,” said Chancellor Joan Gabel. “Burt and Eva’s example of unyielding hard work, integrity, impact and commitment to others not only resonates with us today but will continue to resonate and inspire generations of Pitt students and alums for years to come. We are so grateful for their support and incredible legacy.”
After graduating from Pitt with a degree in history, Burt (A&S ’61) went to work at Kaufmann's department store, which was the first stop in a long and celebrated career in retail management that included positions at Filene’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and, ultimately, Neiman Marcus, from which he retired as CEO in 2010.
“Burt’s passion for Pitt was so all-encompassing that it is very fitting that he would be honored in Hillman Library, which serves as a crossroads for all students," said Kornelia Tancheva, director of the University Library System. “The commons that will carry the Tansky name was created as part of the recent renovation of the library and became an immediate favorite of the students.”
Burt served as trustee from 2003 to 2013 and was an emeritus trustee until his death on March 16, 2025. He received the Pitt Alumni Association Award of Distinction and was named a 2009 Distinguished Alumni Fellow — the most prestigious alumni award conferred by the University. He also co-led, with Eva, Pitt’s most successful fundraising effort to date. Their leadership of the $2 billion capital campaign earned them the title of “Team Tansky.”
“My brother had a passion for Pitt that knew no bounds,” Eva Tansky Blum said. “Burt was enthusiastic about constantly moving Pitt to the next level, doing what he could to ensure that anything is possible at Pitt for the students, researchers, faculty and staff.”
Like her brother, Eva is a standout graduate both for her successful career and for her volunteer and financial support of the University. Eva was president of the Pitt Alumni Association and was named the first woman to chair Pitt’s Board of Trustees in 2015.
The Tansky family also supports Alzheimer’s and breast cancer research, the Student-Athlete Success Fund, the School of Law and several other funds and initiatives.