Burton M. Tansky, trustee emeritus and luxury retail leader, dies at 87

Burton M. Tansky (A&S ’61), luxury retail executive and Pitt emeritus trustee, died March 16. Tansky dedicated years of service to Pitt, leading a successful fundraising campaign and supporting the William Pitt Union and Alzheimer’s research.

“Burt exemplified all that’s possible with a University of Pittsburgh education,” said Chancellor Joan Gabel. “His alma mater is indebted to him for his incredible leadership and generosity over the years, especially his and his sister Eva’s orchestration of the multibillion-dollar ‘Building Our Future Together’ fundraising campaign, which set — and continues to set — Pitt up for success. We are all better for knowing Burt and for his friendship. On behalf of the University, I extend our thoughts, prayers and support to the entire Tansky family.”

The son of immigrant parents who fled religious persecution in Russia and Poland, Tansky grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in history. He rose in the ranks of retail in department stores across the U.S. and became a respected leader in luxury retail as the CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group.

Tansky became a Pitt trustee in 2003. Most notably during his tenure, he led a 2007 fundraising campaign — with his sister Eva Tansky Blum, also on the board — that raised more than $2.1 billion from 189,000 donors, eight times larger than the previous campaign. He was appointed a lifetime emeritus trustee in 2013.

“Burt served honorably on the Board of Trustees for over two decades, a period marked by unprecedented academic progress, dramatically elevated levels of research funding and special recognition earned by our students, faculty and alumni,” said Pitt Board of Trustees Chair John Verbanac. “While Burt will be missed greatly, his legacy and impact are woven into the fabric of the University of Pittsburgh and will endure forever.”

Burton and Eva were the first known brother and sister to serve as trustees at the same time in Pitt’s history, and the duo gave generously to the University. Their support established the William Pitt Union’s Tansky Family Lounge in memory of their parents, as well as the Tansky Family Fund, which supports the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Pitt’s Department of Neurology.

Tansky was broadly recognized for his work both at Pitt and in his career — he received the prestigious Gold Medal Award from the National Retail Federation and was appointed a “Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur,” a recognition of merit from the French government, in honor of his promotion of French-made merchandise. He received the Pitt Alumni Association Award of Distinction and was named a 2009 Distinguished Alumni Fellow, the most prestigious award conferred by the University of Pittsburgh to alumni.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Rita; children Hyla Weiss and Michael Tansky; grandchildren Emily, Coby and Sascha; and sister Eva Blum.

Photography courtesy of Traub