About Our Namesake, Robert Cizik
Philanthropists Joan and Robert Cizik made many transformational gifts to the Houston community, including a generous gift to the eye clinic and a $25 million gift to the UTHealth School of Nursing.
Robert Cizik came from humble beginnings as the son of a coal miner in Scranton, Pennsylvania, who struggled to make ends meet during the Great Depression. The onset of World War II and the rapid build-up of the defense industry in New England provided the family an opportunity to build a new life in Norwalk, Connecticut. Bob put himself through the University of Connecticut by working in the cafeteria, graduating with high honors in 1953.
Soon after, he married Jane Morin and joined the Price Waterhouse accounting firm in New York City. The U.S. Air Force called in its ROTC chips in April 1954, and two weeks later Bob was serving as a second lieutenant with the Fifth Air Force in Nagoya, Japan. Jane and their first child joined him there some eight months later.
Upon returning from military duty, Bob was accepted to Harvard Business School and graduated with high distinction and as a Baker Scholar in 1958. He started working for Standard Oil Company in New York City and then moved to Cooper Industries in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
Cooper relocated its corporate headquarters to Houston in 1967, where Bob became the president and COO in 1973. The chairmanship followed in 1983. After 35 years with the company, he retired in 1996.
Bob, Jane, and their five children flourished in Houston, becoming heavily involved in giving their time and energy to helping the city. Bob devoted 10 years to fundraising to build The Wortham Theatre Center so that Houston could have a world-class performing arts theatre. He served on the boards of the Texas Heart Institute and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Robert Cizik died on June 4, 2019, at the age of 88. He and Jane had celebrated 65 years of marriage.
Ways to Give
To learn more about making a donation to the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic, please click here »
Contact Us
At Robert Cizik Eye Clinic, we offer patients access to highly specialized eye and vision care. To ask us a question, schedule an appointment, or learn more about us, please call (713) 486-9400, or click below to send us a message. In the event of an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.