February 9, 2006
Engineering alumnus recognized for $2.6 million gift
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Robert Kinnier, of Pompano Beach, Fla., made an unrestricted, deferred gift to Purdue's civil engineering program. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1966 and is retired as president of his own steel fabrication company, Badger Railing.
He will be recognized during a Purdue on the Road visit to Miami. Purdue has 2,564 alumni and friends living in the Miami area.
To date, $1.3 billion has been raised for the $1.5 billion Campaign for Purdue, the university's seven-year fund-raising effort. The campaign, which began in 2000, will conclude in mid-2007.
"Bob Kinnier's generosity will make it easier for future civil engineers to attend Purdue and also will help an already top-notch engineering program attract and retain world-class faculty," Jischke said. "Loyal alumni like Bob clearly see the importance of gifts that support academic programs, and for that Purdue is very grateful."
Kinnier said it was his love of education that prompted him to give to his alma mater.
"For me, education is of ultimate importance, and anything you can do for a person to help in that pursuit not only helps the student but helps society as well," he said. "The wonderful thing about education is that as one person becomes educated, that person can help others do the same.
"There is a multiplication effect, and in terms of donating money, that is where you get the most bang for your buck."
Kinnier was born and raised in Baltimore and went to Baltimore Polytechnic Institute before he attended Purdue. After receiving his degree in 1966, he received an MBA from California State University at Fullerton.
After spending about 15 years in management as a sales engineer and marketing manager in industrial products, in 1981 Kinnier purchased a small business, Badger Railing, a miscellaneous steel company that specializes in fabricating stairs, railings, ladders and fences. He retired from that company in 2001.
Kinnier said he remembers his years at Purdue fondly for two reasons: the rigor of the civil engineering program and the more than 20,000 miles he hitchhiked around the country during semester breaks.
"Growing up in the harbor city of Baltimore, I became a sailing enthusiast at a very young age," he said. "I started Purdue on a Naval ROTC scholarship, and in all the places I've lived, Purdue was the one place I wasn't able to sail."
Although his four years at Purdue were difficult, he said he learned invaluable lessons — in engineering and in life — during that time.
"I chose Purdue for its strong reputation, and the civil engineering program was extremely tough," he said. "A few years ago, I came across an old engineering notebook I had, and I couldn't make any sense out of it. It's hard for me to believe that I actually understood all of that while I was at Purdue."
Kinnier said money was tight for him during his years at Purdue, which led to him taking a job in a residence hall kitchen and in the civil engineering lab. Although it was excellent experience, he had to quit the lab job because he was overloaded with classwork. He said he averaged 21 credit hours a semester.
"Since I was basically penniless, I wanted to finish college as soon as I could," he said. "I was bound and determined to get through in four years."
Kinnier said he hopes his gift to Purdue's civil engineering program can help future engineers in ways that could have benefited him.
"My hope is that my gift, in some small way, will help civil engineering students succeed and that they, in turn, will give back to society," he said.
Kinnier now spends his time sailing his boat "Polaris" in Europe after crossing the Atlantic. He has traveled to destinations such as Portugal, Spain, France, the British Isles and Russia. Last summer, "Polaris" cruised more than 2,600 miles around the Baltic Sea.
Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu
Source: Murray Blackwelder, senior vice president for advancement, (765) 496-2144, mblackwelder@purdue.edu
Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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