Robert (MBA 1964) and Lynn Burt

In honor of his 50th Reunion, Robert Burt established a charitable gift annuity that will provide his wife, Lynn, with an income stream from Harvard during her lifetime and then fund a permanently endowed fellowship at HBS. The fellowship will provide need-based financial aid for MBA students, with a preference for US Marine Corps veterans.

“My two biggest influences have been the Marines and Harvard,” says Burt, who after attending Princeton on an NROTC scholarship served three years in the Marines as a combat engineering officer. “As a Marine, I learned the value of loyalty,” he continues. “The Marines taught me to judge people by a simple rule: If you’re running up a hill under fire, will the person at your side stand by you? This value has determined how I’ve hired and worked with people.”

Following his military service, Burt enrolled at HBS. “The case-method curriculum broadened my horizons and expanded how I think about problems,” says the Baker Scholar. “I gained the discipline to strategize and think longer term.” Burt would go on to lead a distinguished career, retiring in 2001 after a decade as chairman and CEO of global chemical manufacturer FMC Corporation.

Burt appreciates the gift planning options available to support the School. “The folks at HBS helped us think through a life-income gift that made a lot of sense for us while giving back to Harvard,” says Burt, adding that the School “did a super job. The annuity offered us higher after-tax income, and we benefited from an income tax write-off this year.”

Giving back to HBS is a priority for Burt. “If we want HBS to remain at the top, we have to invest in the school that has helped us get where we are.” (June 2014)

Learn more about how a charitable gift annuity could benefit you and HBS.