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Henry(Tot) RobinsonHenryAikenird (Tot) Robinson was Street parkway.____________ Oct. 14,1926. His father, On his own time, he worked as aNollie P. Robinson, was sheriff of Ai- scoutmaster and he was a leading or-ken County, and Tot was named for a ganizer of boys’ baseball and pee wee highly-esteemed sheriff who preced- football programs, ed his father in that office. But for all Miss Johanna Gibbs, now retiredRobinson.”known simply as “Tot from high school coaching, was ateen-ager in the early ’50s when Mr.He died on Feb. 28 at the local hos- Robinson worked with the Jaycees topital, several years after moving open a teen canteen in the Jaycee Hutback to Aiken from Japan where he that stood at the rear of the propertyretired as recreation director for mil- where the County Council headquarters is located. Later a vouth canteenwwas built, a facility that now houses..'Mi. ... . mitarvservicetion that led to assignments in the Council on Aging. He recruitedGermany, Spain, Guam and Japan, teen-agers to help and they washedFrom 1949 to 1957, Mr. Robinson cars and sold newspapers to raisewas recreation director for the City of money for the project.Aiken, and in the early ’50s his name He prevailed on the city to put inwas almost synonymous with youth additional money, she said.athletics in Aiken. He stepped into“I’m still impressed with howthat position after graduating fr°™ much time and effort he put into help-Newberry College, where he played j the youth of Aiken,” Miss Gibbs fullback.S. J. (Tony) Orsini, now of Savan-said.Mrs. Parker Deans, whose late hus-nah Beach, was high school football ^an(^ servecj on the City Recreationcoach when Tot Robinson was a se- committee at that time, said she re-nior in the mid-’40s.calls that Mr. Robinson “did an awful“He was an outstanding athlete, jn those early days. When the cityrecalls Mr. Orsini, and he was fan QU^ 0f money f0r the swimmingahead of his time. He was a runner, p00]s he worked on the project him-and he always stayed in condition.’ £elf _Mr. Robinson’s years as city re- (jone „creation director covered a span during which the program underwent Although many younger Aikenitesgreat changes and demands, with the never had the privilege of knowinghe was so determined to get itarrival of some 40,000 personsTot Robinson, nearlv all have benefit-many with familiesto work at the ed from the work he did in behalf ofSavannah River Site. In Aiken, Mr. Aiken’s youth in the momentous Robinson oversaw the building of 1950s.Eustis Park and Smith-Hazel pools to We extend our deepest sympathies replace a single pool in the Newberry to his family.
Newspaper Details
Aiken Standard
Aiken, South Carolina, US
Thu, Apr 04, 1991
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
David S.
USA 06 Jan 2023
Other Publications Near Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken Daily Mail
Aiken County Rambler
Aiken County Register
Aiken County Journal
Aiken Standard
