On May 9, 1986 Ambassador Sue Cobb gave a 50th birthday gift to her husband, Ambassador Chuck Cobb.  That 50th birthday gift was a $50,000 endowment gift to the University of Miami School of Business Administration that would finance an annual lecture on leadership from one of America's most distinguished leaders.

Ambassador Sue Cobb's objective was that the Cobb Leadership Lecture would invite leaders from all walks of life who were experts on leadership.  That objective has been fulfilled as the University of Miami students, faculty and greater Miami community leaders have received superb lectures from some of this nation's most successful leaders. From the business world, the university has hosted outstanding lectures from Bob Galvin, the founder of Motorola, H. Ross Perot, the founder of EDS, and Henry Kravis, the founder of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. From goverment, the university has hosted lectures from the former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, the former governor of the State of Florida, Jeb Bush and two former secretaries of commerce, Barbara Franklin and Bill Verity.  From the world of sports, the university has hosted fascinating presentations by David Stern, the commisioner of the NBA. From academia and distinguished authors, the university has hosted presentations from Dr. Steven Sample, the president of USC on higher education and contrarian leadership and from David Gergen who served four presidents (Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton) in which he contrasted various presidential leadership styles.