2.23.22
J. Robert Young dedicates his $3 million gift to student success
One of the most indelible experiences J. Robert Young had while a student at Wichita State in the 1960s was networking with business and community leaders who participated in a group called the Young Presidents Organization.
“As business students, we had opportunities to learn from CEOs and other top executives who visited the campus and generously shared their experiences and advice,” Young recalls. “Those connections inspired and motivated me to think boldly.”
Just 12 years after graduating from Wichita State, Young founded his own successful business, Alpine Bank, a Colorado financial institution with about $6.2 billion in assets and 39 locations throughout the state. In 2023, the bank will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the theme “50 Years Young.”
Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Young recently decided to give back to the university that helped shape his destiny. He has pledged a gift of $3 million dedicated to giving students resources that will help them build their own successful careers. Of that total, $2 million will endow the J. Robert Young Executive-in-Residence Program in the W. Frank Barton School of Business. And $1 million will support the Shocker Success Center project, which will consolidate 17 student services in Clinton Hall. To honor Young’s gift, the Learning Center in the new facility will carry his name.
“Bob Young has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to philanthropy throughout his life,” says Darin Kater, WSU Foundation vice president. “Wichita State is fortunate to be among the recipients of his generosity. We are deeply grateful for a gift that has the power to transform lives.”
The 2015 recipient of the WSU Alumni Association’s Achievement Award, Young has earned many accolades for his business and philanthropic accomplishments. His dedication to accessible health care and compassion for individuals battling cancer led him to make a lead gift to the Calaway-Young Cancer Center in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Alpine Bank is lauded for being a successful example of an employee-owned company.
“What a privilege for the Barton School to place Bob Young’s name on its Executive-in-Residence program,” says Larisa Genin, dean of the W. Frank Barton School of Business. “In making this gift, Mr. Young is impacting today’s students in much the same way he was inspired and influenced as a WSU student by industry executives and business leaders.”
The Executive-in-Residence program brings in business leaders and entrepreneurs to mentor students, exchange ideas with faculty and help shape business education to reflect today’s work environments.
Young’s decision to dedicate $1 million of his gift to the Shocker Success Center reflects his long-held passion for helping individuals acquire the education they need to be successful in life, said King. “His belief in the power of education is profound. Now, WSU students will be among those benefiting from that conviction.”
The J. Robert Young Learning Center in the Shocker Success Center will be home to WSU’s Writing Center, Math Lab, Physics Lab and Supplemental Instruction Services.
A member of the WSU Foundation’s National Advisory Council for many years, Young also has pledged a gift to Wichita State from his estate.
Private support is essential to the Shocker Success Center project. Find out how you can contribute and learn more about naming opportunities in the new facility by contacting Corey Saleh, WSU Foundation campaign director, at 316.978.4483 or corey.saleh@wichita.edu.
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