Robinson, James W.

Description

James Watson Robinson was born on October 25, 1914, in New York City, New York to Dorita Francina MacElhinny and Watson Bryant Robinson. He had three brothers Thomas, James and Murray and one sister, Dorita and in Rye his family lived at 12 Park Drive North.

James was a 1932 graduate of Portsmouth Abbey School, Portsmouth, RI. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard in 1936 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1939. He also received an MBA from New York University. He was member of the Belle Haven Beach Club in Greenwich.

James served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the USNR. He captained the LST 1033 in battles of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and others throughout the Pacific.

USS LST-1033, a LST-542-class tank landing ship that served in the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was laid down on June 9, 1944, at the Boston Navy Yard and commissioned on August 12, 1944.
It was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater, it participated in major operations including the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima (February 1945) and Okinawa Gunto (April–June 1945).

On September 15, 1945, it was redesignated as a Landing Ship, Tank (Hospital), or LST(H)-1033. Under James command, it was the first ship carrying medical supplies into Nagasaki after the atomic bombing.

Mrs. Robinson Welcomes Home Four Sons in Military Service

Mrs. Watson B. Robinson, of Park Drive North, welcomed home her four sous in the last few weeks from military service. The eldest, James W. Robinson, was a lieutenant-commander in the U. S. N. R. , and was given a citation for meritorious service at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. His ship had been converted into a hospital ship. He has now resumed his law practice. Murray Robinson, who was in the Air Corps, has taken up the study of engineering at the Harvard Post Graduate School. Thomas Arnold Robinson, the third son, who was also in the Air Corps in the European Theater of War, is studying Greek and Latin at Fordham University. Cecil Robinson, the youngest of the brothers, plans this summer to attend the University of Mexico to study Spanish.

May 17, 1946 THE RYE CHRONICLE PAGE FIFTEEN

James married Mary Margaret Beckley March 26, 1960 in the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City. The ceremony was performed by his brother the Rev. T. Arnold Robinson and a reception was held at the Harvard Club of New York.

He was a partner in the New York law firm of Frueauff-Farrell-Sullivan and Bryan from 1939 to 1974. After moving to Tulsa in June of 1974 he became Assistant General Counsel for Cities Service Corporation.

James Watson Robinson died on January 21, 2001, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, at the age of 86

At the time of his death, he was survived by: his wife, Mary Robinson, Broken Arrow; brother, Murray Robinson, Tulsa, OK; sister, Dorita Robinson Holland, Broken Arrow, OK; several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and 2 brothers, the Rev. T. Arnold Robinson and Cecil Robinson.

Funeral service were held at St. Anne Catholic Church in Broken Arrow. Father Patrick Gaalaas will officiate. Interment was at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester, NY on January 26, 2001.