Francis Joseph Reitz (July 7, 1841 – December 11, 1930) was an Evansville banker, businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist whose financial contributions helped shape education and charitable institutions in the city. Two of Evansville’s best-known high schools, F.J. Reitz High School and Reitz Memorial High School, bear his name.
Early Life
Francis Joseph Reitz was born in Evansville, Indiana, on July 7, 1841. He was one of ten children of John Augustus Reitz and Gertrude Frisse Reitz.
His father became one of Evansville’s most successful 19th-century businessmen, building a fortune through the lumber industry. The family’s success made the Reitz name one of the most prominent in the city’s early business history.
Francis initially worked in family-connected foundry and lumber interests before developing a business career of his own.
Business Career
Reitz eventually became one of Evansville’s leading financiers and banking executives.
Although banking became a major part of his career, his business interests extended beyond finance. At various points, Reitz held interests in railroads, furniture, utilities, real estate, and a telephone company.
He served as president of First National Bank and became known as one of Evansville’s leading bankers and civic benefactors.
By the time of his death in 1930, his estate was valued at nearly $1.1 million, an enormous fortune for the period.
F.J. Reitz High School
One of Reitz’s most enduring contributions was his involvement in establishing a public high school on Evansville’s West Side.
Residents had pushed for a West Side high school because traveling to the city’s existing high school downtown was difficult for many families. Plans for the new school faced financial problems during World War I.
Reitz helped make the project possible through financing associated with the bonds needed for construction.
The school’s cornerstone was laid on November 3, 1917, and the building opened in September 1918.
In recognition of Reitz’s role in making the school possible, it was named Francis Joseph Reitz High School.
The school became one of the defining institutions of Evansville’s West Side and remains commonly known as Reitz High School.
Reitz Memorial High School
Reitz later made an even larger contribution to education in Evansville.
In 1922, he pledged approximately $1 million toward establishing a Catholic high school in the city. The school was intended as a memorial to his parents, John Augustus and Gertrude Reitz.
Reitz spent nearly a year searching for a suitable location. He wanted property accessible by streetcar and close to necessary utilities. A 13-acre tract along Lincoln Avenue was eventually selected.
Reitz Memorial High School was dedicated on January 1, 1925, and classes began on January 5 with 252 students.
The original school included 18 classrooms as well as an auditorium, cafeteria, library, recreation room, and other facilities.
For his extraordinary contribution to Catholic education, Reitz received the insignia of Knight and Knight Commander of the Order of Pius IX.
Other Philanthropy
Reitz’s philanthropy extended beyond the two schools that carry his name.
He contributed to the Little Sisters of the Poor, an organization that cared for elderly residents in Evansville for more than a century.
He also helped fund a new wing at St. Vincent Orphanage in Vincennes.
Reitz also played a role in the development of what became the University of Evansville. A $25,000 contribution helped Moores Hill College relocate from southeastern Indiana to Evansville. The institution opened as Evansville College in 1919 and eventually became the University of Evansville.
Death
Francis Joseph Reitz died in Evansville on December 11, 1930, at the age of 89.
At the time of his death, his estate was valued at nearly $1.1 million. Despite accumulating considerable wealth during his lifetime, Reitz reportedly gave away roughly half of his fortune through charitable and civic contributions.
Legacy
Few individuals have had their name woven into Evansville’s identity as thoroughly as Francis Joseph Reitz.
His legacy is particularly visible in education. F.J. Reitz High School, opened in 1918, became an institution of Evansville’s West Side, while Reitz Memorial High School, opened in 1925, became one of the city’s major Catholic educational institutions.
His support also contributed to the establishment of Evansville College, today’s University of Evansville.
The Reitz family’s broader history remains visible through the Reitz Home Museum, the former home of his father, John Augustus Reitz, in Evansville’s Riverside Historic District.
More than a century after many of his major contributions, thousands of Evansville students continue to attend institutions that exist, at least in part, because of Francis Joseph Reitz.
Quick Facts
Full name: Francis Joseph Reitz
Born: July 7, 1841
Birthplace: Evansville, Indiana
Died: December 11, 1930
Place of death: Evansville, Indiana
Parents: John Augustus Reitz and Gertrude Frisse Reitz
Occupations: Banker, businessman, financier
Known for: Philanthropy and civic development in Evansville
Namesake: F.J. Reitz High School and Reitz Memorial High School
Major educational contributions: Reitz High School, Reitz Memorial High School, and the relocation of Moores Hill College to Evansville