The University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) has received a $3-million donation, the largest of its kind in the school’s history, to create an endowed professorship in honor of Norman Bobin (M.B.A. ’67). The donation will sponsor research in banking, economics, or finance for a top professor at the school.
Bobin, who retired as chairman of LaSalle Bank in December, contributed to the professorship along with
La Salle Bank, Bank of America, and James Nicholson, chief executive and president of PVS Chemicals Inc., a Detroit company. Nicholson is both a friend and former GSB classmate of Bobin.
In a statement released earlier this month, Bobin said, “The training and education I received during my time at the Graduate School of Business prepared me well for the career I have enjoyed since my graduation four decades ago.”
Edward Snyder, dean of the GSB, said of the contribution, “It is a fitting tribute to a leader of the Chicago banking and business community scene for so many years.” Bobin worked for several Chicago banks over the course of the last 40 years, most notably leading LaSalle bank to become the largest commercial bank in the Chicago area.
Bobin has maintained close ties to the GSB, serving on the school’s Council of Senior Executives, which helps students consult and make connections with top business leaders. The GSB also awarded Bobin the distinguished alumnus award in 2005.
This is the 42nd endowed professorship that the GSB has created to promote study of finance, economics, and related fields.