Recalling University leader, philanthropist Russell Robinson
Russell M. Robinson II, past chair of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees and founder emeritus of the law firm Robinson Bradshaw, died Sept. 5.
Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts, dedicated in December 2003, honors Robinson and his wife Sally Dalton Robinson. The couple were recognized for their support of the University and their leadership and service to the city of Charlotte.
A member of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees from 1987-97, Robinson served as chair for eight years. During his board tenure, Robinson was regarded by observers as a “quiet power” for the University; he focused on increasing public and private funding and obtaining UNC System authorization for doctoral degrees beyond joint Ph.D. programs.
In addition to his role as a trustee, Robinson served on the Board of Directors of the UNC Charlotte Foundation. He and his wife established the Russell M. Robinson ll Graduate Scholarship in English in 1990 to recruit exceptional graduate students into the Master of Arts in English program. The Russell Robinson II Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare, which honors its namesake, was created through a gift from the C.D. Spangler Foundation.
A Charlotte native, Robinson obtained a law degree from Duke University in 1956. He is the author of “Robinson on North Carolina Corporation Law,” now in its seventh edition. For more than 30 years, the work has been the authoritative reference on corporation law in North Carolina.
Professionally, Robinson was president of the Mecklenburg Bar Association and involved with countless other legal and community organizations. During his career, he received numerous accolades, including the North Carolina Chief Justice’s Professionalism Award in 2018 and the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation Ayscue Professionalism Award in 2006.
As a couple, the Robinsons have supported professional, educational and charitable institutions, arts and cultural organizations, and economic development services throughout greater Charlotte. In 2014, the Robinsons chaired The Charlotte Observer’s annual effort to send deserving children to summer camps, after years of donating money and time to the cause. He also chaired campaigns for the United Way and the Arts & Science Council and served as longtime chairman of the board for the Duke Endowment. Read an obituary for Russell M. Robinson II in The Charlotte Observer.
Online condolences may be shared at Kenneth W. Poe Funeral Services. A service to celebrate Robinson’s life will be at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 12, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1412 Providence Rd., Charlotte, North Carolina.