WILLIAM S. DIETRICH II

DIETRICH WILLIAM S., II
Businessman, Philanthropist, Civic Servant, Author. 73, died on October 6, 2011, of complications from cancer. His death removes from the scene a devoted Western Pennsylvanian who, with an engaging personality and indefatigable determination, forged a remarkable career in industry, literature, civic service, and philanthropy. The son of Marianna Brown Dietrich and Kenneth P. Dietrich, Mr. Dietrich graduated from Conneaut Lake High School in 1956 and earned an A.B. degree from Princeton University in 1960. Following six months of active duty in the United States Marine Corps. Reserve, he joined his father at Dietrich Industries, Inc., which was at that time a small steel warehouse and distribution business located east of Pittsburgh. After transforming the business into the nation's largest manufacturer of light metal framing for the construction industry, Dietrich Industries was sold in 1996 to Worthington Industries, Inc., where Mr. Dietrich remained a director until 2008. The proceeds of that sale funded a charitable trust that, with his passing, will become The Dietrich Foundation, which will primarily support several Western Pennsylvania universities and select non-profits. From 1997 until his death, Dietrich forged a second career on behalf of The Dietrich Charitable Trusts. Early in this endeavor, he discovered access to premier private equity funds was more dependent on relationships than on investment acumen. As The Dietrich Charitable Trusts jostled for coveted allocation slots against prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Yale and the Ford Foundation, he would often observe: "It's not about Bill Dietrich getting richer, it's about charitable good works in the City of Pittsburgh." In 1980 and 1984, respectively, he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He was long interested in the relationship between political institutions and national competitiveness. In 1991, Penn State University Press published his book, "In the Shadow of the Rising Sun: The Political Roots of American Economic Decline." Mr. Dietrich also wrote a series of Pittsburgh pieces that were published in "Pittsburgh Quarterly Magazine". A book entitled "Eminent Pittsburghers," containing a collection of these stories, was published in May 2011. At the time of his death, Mr. Dietrich was working on a new book: "American Recessional: The US Decline and the Rise of China." His extraordinary combination of business experience, academic expertise and pointed prose made him unusually well qualified to address the complex practical and theoretical issues he tackled in his writings and which he discussed passionately with all who were interested - and some who weren't. Long active in civic affairs, Dietrich served as chairman of the boards at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, Great Pittsburgh Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Alliance. Other board service included: Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Chatham University, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Symphony Society, and UPMC Health System. Reflecting on entrepreneurial success Mr. Dietrich once remarked: "Among the critical attributes of the entrepreneur, I'd list hard work, common sense, people skills and a modicum of intelligence. In a small business you do it all yourself. You have to make most of the decisions directly and make them quickly, often with little information. Procrastination is a cardinal sin. Just do it and do it quickly. A little luck never hurts." An enthusiastic but mediocre golfer, Dietrich candidly admitted to possessing the worst golf swing in Western Pennsylvania. His golfing friends concurred unanimously with this self-assessment. He was a member of the Duquesne Club, Double Eagle Club-Columbus, Ohio, Fox Chapel Golf Club, Laurel Valley Golf Club, Oakmont Country Club, The Pittsburgh Athletic Association, The Pittsburgh Golf Club, The River Club-NYC and Rolling Rock Club. Mr. Dietrich is survived by his daughter, Anne Elizabeth Diemer, her husband, Michael of San Francisco, California; his nephew, Kenneth Cascarella, his wife, Lisa and four children all of Memphis, Tennessee. There will be no visitation; there will be a private service for immediate family. Arrangements by JOHN A. FREYVOGEL SONS, INC. 412-621-1665,
www.freyvogelfuneralhome.com
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