Pub. 6 2017 Issue 7

l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s 26 A PHILANTHROPIC VISION THAT IS FUELING THE FUTURE OF KANSAS BANKING B y all accounts, W.R. Robbins is a driven man. Using life lessons and welcoming hard work, he grew from his modest childhood in central Kansas and now serves as the Chairman of the Board for Farmers Bank & Trust, N.A. The family owned bank has grown from $4 million in assets, when Robbins purchased the bank in 1971, to $808 million in June 2017. Robbins has served his community and industry by holding several leadership roles. He served as the chairman of many committees before being elected as the president (now called chairman) for the Kansas Bankers Association in 1997. He also served on the board of directors for FHLBank in Topeka, as well as numerous committees for the American Bankers Association. Like many entrepreneurs, W.R. Robbins experienced many successes but the factor that sets him apart is the generosity with which he lives his life. The list of charitable contributions, both in leadership and financial, are too long to list but W.R. and Yvonne Robbins have left a mark on the communities and industry they love. They contributed to the KBA’s new building in 2001 with a sponsorship of the Robbins meeting room. The Heartland Cancer Center in Great Bend, Golden Belt Community Foundation, and Dominican Sisters of Great Bend are remembered annually by the Robbins family. They are lead donors to Alzheimer’s centers, colon cancer programs and over 30 additional charitable funds. Another impressive act was their involvement with five other donors to purchase the Convention Center and donate it back to the city of Great Bend. Many charitable organizations have been able to depend on the Robbins’ generosity for over 25 years. It is readily apparent that W.R. and Yvonne believe in education and provide every opportunity to help young people reach their goals. They created a scholarship fund with annual giving to Barton County Community College and the Dodge City Community College scholarship funds. W.R. makes no secret of his love for Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Of the many charities that they support year after year, it is their philanthropy toward education that is most noted. W.R. & Yvonne Robbins were the lead donors for the Robbins Center which houses the Alumnae and Foundation Centers. They also provided all the resources for the creation of The Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship as well as the newly created Robbins Banking Institute, which is housed in the college of business and entrepreneurship. In 2017 a scholarship fund was created with annual giving for over 40 scholarships to prospective and current students While the financial endowments are considerable and have added significant opportunity to many students, they shouldn’t overshadow the personal commitment of W.R. Robbins in the gift of his time. His passion for the banking profession is palpable as he explains that he didn’t feel that his industry was spotlighted at any university in the state. W.R. Robbins sits with Jacinda Zerr, Kansas City Market President, to look over components of the endowment to Fort Hays State University. Alan Deines, Director for the Robbins Banking Institute, and several students pause for a group photo.