Pitt to Honor Gen. Roscoe Robinson Jr. at a March 27 Room Dedication and Inaugural Lecture

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) will recognize the achievements of the late General Roscoe Robinson Jr. (1928-1993), a Pitt alumnus and the first African American four-star general in the U.S. Army, with the dedication of a classroom in his honor and the inaugural Gen. Roscoe Robinson Jr. Lecture on Public Service and Diversity. The event, which will be held at 1:30 p.m. March 27 in 3800 Posvar Hall, 230 S. Bouquet St., Oakland, is free and open to the public.

At the dedication, GSPIA Dean John T. S. Keeler will comment on Robinson's impact on diversity in public service and the U.S. military, as well as GSPIA's efforts to advance discussion and awareness of diversity in public service. Immediately following the dedication of 3800 Posvar Hall, Major General Edward B. Atkeson, a West Point classmate and personal friend of Robinson's, will deliver the inaugural lecture. A brief question-and-answer session will follow.

The general's widow, Mildred Robinson, and daughter, Carol Robinson, will be in attendance. Photographs of Robinson and other memorabilia will be on display.

Robinson graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1951 and thereafter earned the Bronze Star Medal for his service as a rifle company commander in the Korean War. He attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in 1963 and earned his MPIA degree at Pitt in 1964.

During the Vietnam War, Robinson served as battalion commander for the 7th Cavalry Regiment-earning the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and 11 Air Medals-and then as Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. Following the Vietnam War, he served as executive officer to the Chief of Staff of the National War College of the United States. In 1975, Robinson was promoted to Brigadier General and was appointed to command the U.S. Army Garrison in Okinawa, Japan. Later commands included the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., and the U.S. Army Japan/IX Corps. Robinson was promoted to a four-star general in 1982 and served from 1982 to 1985 as U.S. Representative to NATO's Military Command in Brussels. Upon his retirement in 1985, he was awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

Atkeson (U.S. Army, Retired) is a senior fellow at the Institute of Land Warfare, Association of the U.S. Army, and a contributing editor for "ARMY Magazine." During his military service, he was appointed deputy chief of Staff Intelligence, U.S. Army Europe, and later a member of the National Intelligence Council. He also served with the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State.

A frequent writer and lecturer on military affairs, Atkeson is the author of four books: "The Final Argument of Kings: Reflections on the Art of War" (NOVA Publications, 1955), "A Military Assessment of the Middle East 1991-1996" (Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 1992), "The Powder Keg: An Intelligence Officer's Guide to Military Forces in the Middle East 1996-2000" (NOVA Publications, 1996), and a historical novel on the Vietnam conflict, "A Tale of Three Wars" (Army War College Foundation Press, 1997).

Atkeson holds a PhD degree in military art and science from the University of Luton, England, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School's advanced management program and was formerly a fellow at Harvard University's Center for International Affairs. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medals of both the U.S. Army and the Central Intelligence Agency.

For more information, contact Julia Johnson at 412-648-7534 or jej12@pitt.edu.

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