Dick Pizitz Reflects on Birmingham, Civil Rights and the Importance of Stong Leadership

RCB President Jeff Stone and Rotarian DeLynn Zell with Dick Pizitz

This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Dick Pizitz, former president of the Pizitz department store chain and a longtime Birmingham business and civic leader. Pizitz shared his firsthand perspective on Birmingham during the pivotal years of 1962 and 1963, when the city became the focal point of the Civil Rights Movement. He reflected on the role he played, alongside other business leaders, in promoting a coordinated and collective response within the business community—efforts that helped ease tensions and guide the city through a pivotal and challenging era.

Pizitz also reflected on the leadership, resilience, and decision-making required amid profound social change, offering perspective on Birmingham’s broader civic history and economic development, including the decisions that shaped the city’s growth. His story offered valuable lessons and a meaningful opportunity for reflection and dialogue.

About Dick Pizitz

Dick Pizitz served as president of the Pizitz department store chain from 1966 until its sale to McRae’s in 1986. He later continued the family legacy as president of Pizitz Management Group, which operates Gus Mayer boutiques in Birmingham and Nashville. His civic leadership includes service on the boards of the Birmingham Better Business Bureau, Alabama Retail Association, and Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, as well as appointments to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.