Darlington is pleased to announce that Billy Mitchell (’58) and Roby Robinson (’58) have been named the 2008
Distinguished Alumnus Award recipients. They were honored today with a special luncheon and chapel service, kicking off the school’s Alumni Weekend celebration.
“It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you today two Darlington graduates who truly exemplify our school’s motto – Wisdom More than Knowledge; Service Beyond Self; Honor Above Everything,” said Headmaster Tom Whitworth. “We are proud to welcome Mr. Billy Mitchell and Mr. Roby Robinson back to campus today as they celebrate their 50th reunion with their classmates. Each of these fine gentlemen has achieved great success since graduating from this school in 1958, and we are honored to recognize them both today.”
A second-generation Darlington alumnus, Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vanderbilt University and went on to become a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He then served as vice president and managing officer of Security Federal Savings & Loan Association of Atlanta before joining Carter Real Estate in 1967. He was the senior development officer until 1987, when he assumed the position of chief investment officer. In 1991, he was appointed president of the company, and in 1994, he became chief executive officer. In July 2000, Mitchell was appointed chairman of Carter, and in 2005 he was named chairman emeritus.
During his 20 years of responsibility for development activity, more than 16 million square feet of office and retail space were developed for corporate clients and Carter investment partnerships. The current market value of these investments exceeds $1.5 billion. More than six million square feet of office and retail properties were sold on behalf of Carter investment partnerships during this time.
“Darlington provided me the opportunity to live with others, to learn to understand them, to develop leadership skills, to learn self-discipline and study habits,” Mitchell said. “Learning these lessons and applying them to your life gives you a great opportunity to grow and become more mature. I’ve gotten back far more from Darlington than I’ve ever given, and for that I am grateful.”
Mitchell’s civic commitments include membership on the boards of Atlanta Resource Foundation, Carter & Associates, Charis Community Housing, Choosing the Best, Darlington School, Miller Valentine Group and Montreat College. He is the independent chairperson for AXA Enterprise Mutual Funds and an elder at North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.
He and his wife, the former Gladys Bell, have been married 45 years. They have two children and seven grandchildren. Mitchell continues to be an active member of the Darlington Community. In addition to his service to the Board of Trustees, of which he was chairman from 2001-2003, he is a member of the J.J. Darlington Society, a visitor emeritus, and co-chairman of the Second Century Campaign’s Atlanta Cabinet. He also served on the Campaign for Darlington Campaign Committee from 1993-2000 and the Design for Darlington Campaign Steering Committee from 1988-1991.
Mitchell’s classmate and fellow Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient Roby Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and studied law at the University of Georgia. In 1963, he joined The Robinson-Humphrey Co., an Atlanta-based regional investment banking firm founded by his grandfather. He apprenticed for two years before entering sales. From 1969-1972, he managed the firm’s largest branch office in downtown Atlanta, and from 1972-1978 he headed the corporate underwriting department. Robinson was then appointed senior executive vice president and director and given the task of developing Robinson-Humphrey’s retail branch office system in the greater Southeast. When the firm was acquired by American Express Co. in 1982, he also became an executive vice president and divisional officer of Shearson Lehman Brothers, which subsequently became Smith Barney/Citigroup. In 1993, he was elected president of Robinson-Humphrey and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1998, after which he formed his own company, Phase Three Enterprises, LLC.
“Fifty years may seem like a long time ago, but to us it feels like yesterday,” Robinson said. “There are really no better examples of students who have been transformed by this place than Billy Mitchell and me. We met last week for lunch to talk about what Darlington has meant to us in our lives, and decided that today we would encourage each of you to really immerse yourself in what this school has to offer. Get engaged in your classrooms, in athletics, in the fine arts, in student life, in leadership opportunities. How you spend your four years at Darlington and what you take away from that experience will have a great impact on your time in college and on the rest of your life.”
During his 35 years with Robinson-Humphrey, Robinson was active on various boards and/or committees of industry organizations such as the Securities Industry Association, the Georgia Securities Dealers Association, and on arbitration panels for the New York Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers. His civic commitments have included membership on the boards of the Atlanta Historical Society, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Humane Society, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and the Trust for Urologic Research at Emory University. He served on the national UVA Alumni Board of Managers for six years, and was elected president from 1996-1997. Robinson has also been active with UVA’s Jefferson Scholars undergraduate merit scholarship selection program and the Jefferson Scholars Graduate Fellowship program. Additionally, he was founding trustee of the UVA College of Arts and Sciences Foundation.
Robinson and his wife, the former Olive Shaw Wilson, have been married nearly 46 years. They have three children and four grandchildren. He, too, has stayed involved with the school community. In addition to his service to the Board of Trustees, of which he was chairman from 2003-2006, he is a member of the J.J. Darlington Society, founding member of the Board of Visitors, and co-chairman of the Second Century Campaign’s Atlanta Cabinet. He also served as chairman of the Campaign for Darlington Atlanta Steering Committee from 1993-2000.
Nominees for the Distinguished Alumnus Award must have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following areas since graduating from Darlington or Thornwood – notable achievement within a professional field; service to his or her community, state or nation; service to the arts, sciences or humanitarian causes; or loyalty to Darlington. After nominations have been solicited from the alumni body, the award recipient is selected by an Executive Committee of the Alumni Council, composed of the president of the Alumni Council, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the alumni relations officer.
