Jay K. Katzen ’58

Jay died April 9, 2020, at his home in Talkeetna, Alaska. He was 83.

Jay came to Princeton from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. He was a member of Quadrangle Club and the rifle team and was head cheerleader (and occasional Tiger). He roomed with Adkins, Farrin, McLean, Poole, Rankin, and Zilkha. Jay graduated magna cum laude in politics and received the Philo Sherman Bennett prize.

After earning a master’s degree at Yale, he entered the career Foreign Service with postings over 25 years in Australia, Burundi, both Congos, Romania, Mali, the United Nations, and the White House. He spoke five languages.

Jay served as consultant to the CEOs of five Fortune 50 companies for a decade, was vice chairman of the African Development Foundation, and acting chief of staff of the Peace Corps. He was the first Republican to represent his rural constituency in Virginia’s House of Delegates, where he served four terms before narrowly losing as Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. He was a visiting professor at Boston College’s Graduate School of Management and a member of several university boards.

Jay and his wife of 56 years, Paddy, were driving forces in the construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was chairman of the board of the Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge. The Katzens moved to Alaska in 2009, where Jay continued his service as a National Park ranger.

Jay is survived by Paddy, three adult sons (all Eagle Scouts), and seven grandchildren. The class extends its condolences to each of them.