The beginnings of the Kautz-Uible Economics Institute date back to 1982 when James C. Kautz and his wife Caroline Kautz established the Hewett-Kautz Fund. Jim—the first member of his family to attend college—is an alumnus of the economics program at the University of Cincinnati. During his undergraduate studies, however, Jim struggled and nearly dropped out. His path changed when his economics professor, Dr. Hewett, stepped in and mentored him, encouraging him to continue his studies. Jim successfully completed his college degree in 1953 and moved on to build an exceptional career. To express his gratitude and honor his economics professor, Jim created the Hewett-Kautz Fund with the primary mission of enriching the lives of economics students at UC.

Jim went on to earn his earn MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1957. Subsequently, he joined Goldman, Sachs & Company and became a partner. Together with his nephew Jim Koch, he was a founding board member of the Boston Beer Company, which is the maker of Sam Adams. Jim passed away in 2018, leaving behind a rich legacy.

When Jim's health deteriorated, his son Dan Kautz continued this legacy. He worked with UC economics alumnus Woody Uible (BA, 1975), a principal at Bartlett Wealth Company who joined the fund in 1993; the pair expanded the fund's scope and changed its name to the Kautz-Uible Fund.

Thanks to a large gift from Dan and Woody in 2019, the fund developed even further and became the Kautz-Uible Economics Institute. It is now a quasi-autonomous institute associated with the Department of Economics at UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business. Several successful alumni and economics faculty members actively participate in the activities of the institute.

History

Founders

Dan Kautz

Mr. Dan Kautz is the co-founder and co-owner of K&S Companies, a real estate development and management organization that began in 1986. Prior to working with K&S, Mr. Kautz started, owned, and managed a number of businesses.

Mr. Kautz graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1982 with a BA in History. He has served in various capacities with multiple non-profit organizations but considers his involvement with both the economics department at UC's Lindner College of Business and the geriatrics program at UC's College of Medicine as particularly meaningful.

2a81ce77-8cb5-4668-9c1f-6a36206a9185_edi

James Kautz

Mr. James Kautz retired from Goldman, Sachs & Company in 1999. He joined Goldman, Sachs & Company in 1966 and was a general partner from 1978 to 1987 and a limited partner from 1987 to 1999. Prior to this, he served in the food advertising department at Procter & Gamble from 1957 to 1959 and as a corporate officer with Main Supply, Inc. from 1959 to 1966. He is a former director of the Boston Beer Company and was a founder as well as a partner of Sage Capital Management Corporation from 1994 to 1999.

Mr. Kautz graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BA in Political Science from UC in 1953 before earning an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1957. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law from UC in 1995 and is an emeritus member of the UCF Board of Trustees (former chairman).

In 2014, Mr. Kautz was awarded the President's Award for Excellence for his support of and service to UC's mission. Mr. Kautz passed away in January 2018. His incredible kindness and generosity, his foresight, and his legacy will live on forever through the lives of many economics faculty and hundreds of students.

Woodrow Uible

Mr. Woodrow Uible is a principal, investment advisor, and manager of Equity Strategies at Bartlett & Company, an investment advisory firm. He has been with Bartlett & Company since 1980. Prior to this, he was employed by a private investment fund and the investment division of a bank trust department. He is a past president of the Chartered Financial Analysts Society of Cincinnati.

Mr. Uible graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BA in Economics in 1975. He has served on the UCF Board of Trustees since 1999 and currently serves as a board member on the Beech Acres Foundation, Interact for Health, Walnut Hills High School Foundation, Economics Center, and the UCFB Development Council. Additionally, he has served as an adjunct professor of economics at UC.