Posted on January 18, 2006

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Marshall A. Robinson, Former Foundation Leader, Dies

Marshall A. Robinson, former president of the Russell Sage Foundation, has died after a long illness, the New York Times reports.

Following a career in academia and with the Ford Foundation, Robinson headed the New York City-based Russell Sage Foundation from 1979 to 1986. Established in 1907, the foundation focuses on research in the social sciences, supporting and publishing studies on a wide range of topics. Robinson took the helm of the foundation after a period of upheaval in its top ranks and questions about the relevancy of its work. During his tenure, the foundation awarded millions of dollars in grants to explore topics such as risk perception and the way the changing roles of men and women were reshaping the country's institutions, drawing on scholars from both conservative and liberal institutions.

Robinson, who held an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Ohio State University, pursued a career in academia until 1964, when he joined the Ford Foundation. At Ford, he rose to vice president for resources and the environment before moving to the Russell Sage Foundation fifteen years later. After his retirement from the latter, he returned to academia and was a visiting professor at the Graduate School of the City University of New York and a fellow at the Institute of Social and Policy Studies at Yale University. From 1992 until last year, he served as vice president of the New York City-based Daniele Agostino Foundation, which supports women and children's programs in Latin American communities, primarily in Guatemala and Mexico.

In 1982, Robinson told the Times that huge sums had been spent to conquer poverty in this country without defining its root causes, and he noted the role of social science in tackling modern problems. "There's an eternal battle going on between the people who say let's do and not just think about doing, and those who want to be more thoughtful. There's room for both."

Saxon, Wolfgang. “Marshall A. Robinson, 83, Former Foundation Chief, Dies.” New York Times 1/13/06.

Primary Subject: Philanthropy and Voluntarism
Location(s): New York, New York City

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