James B. Robinson ’51

James B. Robinson ’51, a life-long resident and community leader in Chattanooga, Tennessee, died on July 17, 2014, after a long illness. Jim spent his business career as CEO of the American Manufacturing Co., a fabricator of wire products founded by his great-grandfather. A list of his civic roles and contributions includes the chairmanship or presidency of the Chattanooga Manufacturers Association, Chattanooga Electric Power Co., Metropolitan YMCA, Chattanooga Area Healthcare Coalition and Wellness Council. He was a board member of the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, United Way, Chattanooga Community Foundation and AmSouth Bank of Tennessee. Jim was a founding father and charter member of the Rivermont Presbyterian Church, where he taught Sunday school and sang in the choir for 50 years. He was an active jogger and scuba diver for most of his life. A favorite volunteer activity was diving in the tanks of the Tennessee Aquarium, hand-feeding large fish. A railroad buff, he became a restoration volunteer at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. For many years he chaired the board of the Forman School in Connecticut, which served children with dyslexia. At Dartmouth Jim was a member of Theta Delta Chi (where his guitar playing was applauded) and the Undergraduate Council. Following graduation he served for three years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Jim loved his college, saying in later life that, “Dartmouth made a somebody out of a nobody.” Jim’s wife, Carol, predeceased him. He is survived by three children and six grandchildren.