Gift Supports New Generation of Student-Athletes

Women’s Athletics pioneer Robin DeLamar Voigt ’77 and her husband, Vern Voigt, invest in student-athletes’ future through their retirement accounts

Robin DeLamar Voigt ’77 arrived at Northwestern in 1974—two years before the University began offering women athletics scholarships. A transfer student who had played volleyball for Academy of the Sacred Heart in her native Chicago, Robin began attending practices for Northwestern’s team as a way to connect with her new classmates. During Robin’s junior year, the University moved the volleyball team, which then operated through the Illinois Athletic Association, into the NCAA and began to fund it under the landmark Title IX requirements for equality in sports. Robin went on to become one of the first eight women to earn a varsity letter from Northwestern.

“It was an amazing experience to be at the forefront of women’s sports,” recalls Robin, who says she learned discipline, leadership, and management skills as a student-athlete. “We set the stage for today’s student-athletes. This inspires me to help the next generation succeed in both athletics and academics.”

After graduation, Robin met Vern Voigt, a University of Wisconsin graduate, while living on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. They married several years later and embarked on their respective careers, Robin as an international tax attorney and Vern as a civil engineer. The couple established a home base in Chicago, but traveled extensively and lived in Seoul, South Korea, for three years in the early 1990s.

Upon their return to Chicago, Robin joined the N Club—a group of former Wildcat letter winners that works to ensure the continued success of Northwestern Athletics and today’s student-athletes. “It was the N Club that brought me back to the University,” says Robin, who served as president for many years and helped shape the club into the active, dynamic organization it is today.

Robin is now a mentor with NU for Life, a program dedicated to the professional development of Northwestern student-athletes. She has mentored students on the basketball, soccer, fencing, and swimming and diving teams. “It’s been a very meaningful experience for me,” says Robin, “and I hope it has been equally valuable for the student-athletes.”

As they approached retirement, Robin and Vern began thinking about how they could make the biggest impact at their respective alma maters. They decided to name Northwestern the beneficiary of several retirement accounts. This allows them to transfer the full value of the account assets to the University tax-free. The Voigts’ gift represents the largest bequest to Northwestern from a female student-athlete.

In addition to this landmark planned gift, the Voigts have also established the Voigt Volleyball Scholarship and are members of NU Loyal, which honors alumni and friends who give to the University year after year. The couple hopes their generosity will empower a new generation of student-athletes and inspire other alumni to support Athletics at Northwestern.