College Sweethearts Honor Block Museum

Christine ’66 and William Robb III ’66 ensure future support for art programs through retirement plan assets

Chris and Bill Robb’s love of art can be traced back to 1966, when together they took a contemporary art course as seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences. As newlyweds, two years later, they began collecting art, a lifelong hobby.

For Chris, a political science major at Northwestern, the hobby evolved into a career. Now a successful interior designer, she fondly remembers the many art courses—and an interior design course—that helped determine her ultimate career path.

“Because of the quality of education at Northwestern, we were ready to go out into the world,” says Chris, who stays connected to the University as chair of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art Board of Advisors.

It was the Robbs’ fondness for Northwestern and the Evanston area that drew the family back to the North Shore after Bill, an orthopedic surgeon, completed his medical training in the 1970s. Their son John ’93, ’94 met his wife Katrin ’92, ’96 JD while studying at Northwestern, following his parents’ lead.

As alumni committed to supporting arts education and the undergraduate experience, the Robbs chose to support the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art by designating the museum as the beneficiary of an individual retirement account (IRA). This type of gift allowed Chris and Bill to use their IRA to make a gift to Northwestern now while maintaining control over this asset throughout their lifetime.

“Bill and I are confident that the museum will use our gift in a meaningful way to enhance the student experience and support the Block Museum’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning,” Chris says.

If you would like to support a specific school or program with a retirement account, please contact the Office of Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu.