My Contribution: I was an outstanding student-athlete and sports star at Central High School in both track and football. I was also a talented a student-athlete at Cornell University, where I ran track and studied to obtain a degree in veterinary science. I became a successful veterinarian in New Jersey, where I managed a large animal practice serving especially the dairy farmers that generated milk for nearby New York City.
My Legacy: I broke ground as one of the first African Americans to enter Cornell University College of Veterinary Science, and I was recognized by the university in a 2014 publication. I also mentored my two sons along their journeys to Cornell and to successful careers: one became a prominent veterinarian while the other became a Washington, D.C. District Court judge.
About Me: “Many of you sports followers of the vintage 1912-1913, remember Aubrey Robinson who used to play football for Central High School, and was, at the time, one of the best sprinters in this locality… The Robinson name is being carried along now—by two of his sons—one a member of the Cornell football team, and the other a member of the Big Red Band… the old man is a veterinarian in Madison, NJ.” —Harrisburg Telegraph, December 5, 1941.
Full Name: Aubrey Eugene Robinson Sr.
Birth Date: October 24, 1889
Death Date: January 19, 1962
Place of Birth: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Sex: Male
Race: Black (1900 Federal Census) and “Mulatto” (1910 Federal Census)
Places of Residence: 10 Haehnlen Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ithaca, New York (1916); 15 Walnut Street, Morris, New Jersey; Madison, New Jersey.
Connection to the Old Eighth Ward: Friends with many individuals who lived in the Eighth Ward
Family Members: Father: Alexander Robinson. Mother: Margaretta Robinson. Brother: Charles A. Robinson. Wife: Mabel Robinson. Sons: Aubrey E. Robinson, Jr., and Charles Robinson
Education: Harrisburg Central High School
Occupations: Teamster for mail wagon (1910). Railroad Worker. Veterinarian
Church Membership: Unknown
Activism: Harrisburg Colored Football Team (referee); Rosebud Fountain, True Reformers, No. 78 (secretary)
Connections: Rosabelle Quann, Gwendolyn Bennett, Esther Popel, and Dr. Charles H. Crampton.
Digital Harrisburg 