Dr. Peter Robinson, Professor of History, is preparing to enter retirement after a 55-year-long career at Jacksonville State University. Robinson graduated from Delta State College with a B.A. before earning his M.A. and Ph.D. at Mississippi State University. Throughout his time at JSU, Robinson has taught several undergraduate and graduate history courses, been faculty advisor for many student extracurriculars, sat on numerous committees, and served as the Chairman of the History Department and President of the Faculty Senate.

Robinson has also been afforded honors within Outstanding Young Men of America, Outstanding Educators of America, and the Directory of American Scholars, as well as membership in Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Gamma Mu, Phi Alpha Theta, the Organization of American Historians, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, and the Alabama Education Association.

In terms of scholarly achievements, Robinson has complied the Register to the Hamilton Holt Papers, been on the editorial board of Forum Press, and reviewed for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

As a passionate, friendly figure who is always willing to help, Robinson will be greatly missed by his colleagues in the History and Foreign Languages Department.

Dr. Russ Lemmons, Professor of History, puts it clearly: “For more than five decades, Dr. Robinson dedicated his life to the students at Jacksonville State University. He will be sorely missed.”

According to Ms. Cathy Burrows, a history instructor, “Dr. Robinson is the last of the old guard in our department. When I came to JSU, many of our faculty members had been here since the late 1960s.  He is not only a wonderful teacher, but one of the kindest people you could meet. He has always been willing to go out of his way to help a student or colleague, and I will miss him greatly.”

“I’ve been Pete’s Department Chair for the last 13 years, and he has been a delight to work with. As a former chair himself, possessing decades of experience and perspective, he always helped me gain needed perspective when things got tough, or I had a particularly stressful week,” recalls Dr. Gordon Harvey, Head of the Department of History and Foreign Languages. “Always ready with a funny story from his years at JSU, Pete was invaluable to me and our department. One thing is certain: you don’t teach for more than 5 decades without a deep and abiding love of your craft. Pete loves teaching, and he took great pains to make sure it was done in such a way that the students left his classes with more than just historical knowledge. Pete made JSU a better place, and we will miss him dearly.”

Dr. Paul Beezley, Associate Professor of History and Interim History Department Head, recalls, “I remember when I turned 50 and Peter told me he’d taught here 51 years; it really struck me what a repository of institutional memory he truly is. Dr. Robinson witnessed the transformation of Jacksonville State from a college to a university, its evolution a from a singularly white institution to the diverse campus of today, all while helping to make this the friendliness campus in the South.”

Beezley emphasized that Robinson should be celebrated for his impact – not the duration of time he spent at JSU. “Dr. Robinson is a humble man, who does not want to be feted for his longevity. We should honor him for his positive influence on thousands of students who sat in his classes and for his many years as the head of the History Department.  His love for his topic came through both in his lectures and how he appears nearly timeless. Teaching college students was Peter’s calling, a true vocation, not a job.”

“He should be honored for his collegiality, which helps to make HY/FL one of the best departments to work in on campus. I will miss our conversations about the university, boyhood stories about west Mississippi, and background history about this area. Peter Robinson is a great colleague, a fantastic professor, and a friend.”