The Maurer School of Law is mourning the passing of its graduate Robert H. McKinney, a visionary attorney, businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist, who died over the weekend at his home in Michigan.
He was 98.
McKinney was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving on destroyers in the Pacific Theater for three years near the end of World War II. He also had a temporary appointment to Gen. MacArthur’s staff before returning to law school.
And once he graduated, McKinney became one of the most successful—and beloved—attorneys in Indianapolis. Partnering with Lew Bose and William Evans, McKinney joined forces in 1963 to create one of the Midwest’s premier law firms in Bose, McKinney, and Evans.
That was just the beginning of what would become an extraordinary career of both public and private service, and a life dedicated to the belief that giving back to his community wasn’t just a nice thing to do—it was the right thing to do.
That included indelible contributions not only to his alma mater, but to the Indiana University Indianapolis law school where he began his legal education. McKinney enrolled at the IU School of Law in Indianapolis after his World War II duties, but was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. McKinney transferred to IU’s law school in Bloomington, where he graduated in 1952.
He remained actively involved with both law schools—and the university—for more than 70 years. In 2011 the IU School of Law in Indianapolis was renamed in his honor.
The Maurer School of Law inducted McKinney into its Academy of Law Alumni Fellows in 1999, the same year he endowed the Robert H. McKinney Professorship in Bloomington. Professor Dan Conkle held the chair for years, and recalled fondly his interactions with McKinney.
“Bob was a highly accomplished individual and a generous benefactor, but he also was a true gentleman,” Conkle said. “He reached out to me shortly after I took on the position that he endowed, expressing genuine interest in me and in my scholarship. I shared my scholarly work with him, and he not only read it but also offered his comments. Bob was a remarkable man. It was privilege to know him and, through my professorship, to have my name associated with his.”
Virtually unparalleled is his support of Indiana University, McKinney served on its Board of Trustees from 1989 to 1998, including one year as its president. IU recognized him with its Presidents Circle Laurel Pin in 2014, its Partners in Philanthropy Herman B Wells Visionary Award in 2017, and a Bicentennial Medal in 2019. McKinney was awarded an honorary doctorate from IU in 2018 to go along with previous honorary doctorates from Marian and Butler universities.
“Indiana has lost a true giant of the legal profession,” said Maurer School of Law Dean Christiana Ochoa. “Bob McKinney has been an inspiration to and friend of us all over the years, and his legacy in Indiana and beyond will live on in our faculty and students for decades to come.”
McKinney’s legacy extends far beyond the legal profession. President Jimmy Carter—a classmate of McKinney’s at the Naval Academy—appointed him chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. McKinney led the deregulation of the thrift industry in the 1970s, positioning it for growth and stability.
Valena Beety, who now serves as the Robert H. McKinney Professor of Law, said that though she never had the opportunity to meet him, McKinney was an inspiration.
“I am thankful to Mr. McKinney for his significant support of higher education in Indiana, both through his incredibly generous contributions to Maurer and McKinney, and his support for Indiana University,” she said.