Title:“Love for Our Family, Love for Georgetown, Love for the People We Met Here”

Robert Flanagan, a 1967 graduate of the McDonough School of Business, recently shared a few recollections about the university and the role it has played in his life:

“What makes Georgetown important for Maurie and me can be summed up in one word: Love. Love for our family, love for Georgetown, love for the people we met here.

Much of our lives are connected to Georgetown. My father graduated from the College in 1928. He was the only person in his family to go to college. Dad completed undergrad in three years, then graduated from the School of Medicine in 1930.

I transferred to Georgetown sophomore year and joined the Chimes—I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! Maurie and I were introduced by Joe Lauinger and his brother, and we became great friends with the family. After Joe passed away, we named our son after him and continue to have a wonderful connection with the Lauingers.

My family has been blessed with many Hoyas: my brother, our three children, and a daughter-in-law. Now our granddaughter is a freshman on the Hilltop. Seeing her here is such a joy—the love continues.

Over the years we have supported Georgetown because Georgetown has always supported us. When we sold our company, we had the opportunity to give back to the university and decided to include a bequest in our long-term financial and estate planning. We thought about what meant the most to us and designated our gift to Athletics in honor of my dad, who attended on a football scholarship, and Frank Rienzo.

Lauinger Library is also important to us, so we included a legacy gift in honor of Joe and the family. Giving back to Georgetown is about more than money for us. Maurie has been an AAP interviewer for over 45 years, and I’ve been involved with the MSB Board of Advisers, the Board of Regents, and the Library Board. The people we’ve met at Georgetown—students, professors, priests, fellow alumni—make this place special. The Chimes are still a big part of our lives and Maurie gets together with her NHS classmates regularly.

For our family, giving back to Georgetown represents the love we have for this institution, the opportunities we’ve had, and the people we’ve met. Maurie and I are amazed every time we visit the Hilltop. The community has become more diverse, the new buildings are exciting, and the campus is beautiful.

There is so much going on, right in the heart of D.C. Georgetown is an important part of our family’s legacy. We are so grateful to be part of this special place.”

For more information on making a planned gift to Georgetown, please call 800-347-8067, e-mail plannedgiving@georgetown.edu, or fill out our information request form.