Transforming Together Campaign surpasses $300 million mark with $10 million gift from the Christopher B. Galvin Family Foundation

9/26/2016 - A generous gift of $10 million by the Christopher B. Galvin Family Foundation catapults Kellogg School of Management’s Transforming Together campaign past $300 million, toward its $350 million goal.

The most visible evidence of the campaign’s progress is Kellogg’s Global Hub, the new 410,000 square-foot business school home, slated to open Spring Quarter 2017. In honor of his notable contribution, the Global Hub’s new Design Wing along with a conference center within the wing will be named for the Galvin Family.

The Galvin gift also pushed Northwestern University past the $3 billion mark in its “We Will” campaign.

“This is an opportunity to give back,” says Christopher B. Galvin ’77, former chairman and CEO of Motorola Inc. “Kellogg played an important role in my career, especially in my post-Motorola investing and business management.”

Galvin’s leadership and support of Northwestern, and Kellogg in particular, has been both ardent and enduring. Formerly, he fulfilled the roles of board chairman in both Cleversafe and NAVTEQ and chairman/CEO of Motorola Inc. Now the Co-founder and CEO/Chairman of Harrison Street Capital, LLC, Galvin serves as a member of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board and an Executive Committee Member of Northwestern University’s Board of Trustees. He served as an alumni trustee of Northwestern from 1980 to 1982, was re-elected to the board in 1988, was elected as a charter trustee in 1990, and has served in this capacity ever since.

Several members of the Galvin family have also received degrees from Northwestern. Christopher’s son, David Galvin ’11, graduated from Kellogg. In addition, his wife, Cynthia B. Galvin (Medill ’78); mother Mary B. Galvin (Communication ’45); and nephew Michael Meiners (Communication ’96) all are Northwestern University alumni.

The Galvin legacy at Northwestern University spans decades, and includes pace-setting gifts to the Feinberg School of Medicine and the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall in the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts.

“Many of the projects we support are related to entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Galvin with regard to the Kellogg gift. “It was those underlying philosophies that helped my grandfather, Paul Galvin, to found Motorola Inc. My father, Bob, and I consider us to have been stewards of Paul's vision and his principles.”

“The Galvin family’s gift is testimony to their profound and lasting commitment to Kellogg ideals,” says Kellogg Dean Sally Blount. “It is an especially fitting tribute that the Design Wing will be named for them. The Galvins are a family of innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors, and the new space will invite tomorrow’s business leaders to work together to solve relevant, real-world issues in new ways. We are so grateful for their support.”

The Galvin Family Design Wing, which includes a conference center, will occupy the entire northwest wing on the first floor. This prominent, cutting-edge space will help bring the potential of the new Global Hub alive—catalyzing idea generation, and provoking creative dialogue and debate, says Blount.

“This meaningful gift, which helps us surpass $300 million in philanthropic support, is a robust start to the Kellogg academic year and the final year of our Transforming Together campaign,” says Campaign Chair Jim Farrell. “With their important contribution, Chris Galvin and his family are helping to shape the Kellogg experience for current and future students and are investing in pioneering 21st century business leadership.”