Edwin Claiborne Robins Sr. (1910–1995) was an American chief executive of A.H. Robins pharmaceutical company and a philanthropist.

A.H. Robins

Robins' grandfather, Albert Hartley Robins, started a drug store in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, in 1866. After attending the

University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...

as an undergraduate and earning a pharmacy degree at the

Medical College of Virginia The VCU Medical Center (VCU Health), formerly known as the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), is the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, United States. As MCV, VCU Medical Center merged ...

in 1933, Robins built the company up to a Richmond-based multinational giant that manufactured, among other products,

Robitussin Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including ana ...

cough syrup and ChapStick lip balm.

Philanthropy

Robins served as trustee at the

starting in 1951. By 1969, the university was a small, liberal arts school strongly affiliated with the

Southern Baptist church The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Ch ...

and was poised at bankruptcy. Robins offered what was the largest gift to any university, $50 million in A.H. Robins common stock and $10 million in cash contingent on matching gifts. The university's executives, headed by then-president E. Bruce Heilman and Vice President

H. Gerald Quigg Harry Gerald Quigg (born February 5, 1937) is an American specialist in non-profit philanthropy and fund-raising who spent most of his career as Vice President of Development at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Early life and educ ...

, directed the successful effort, ultimately leading to a $60 million addition to the university's endowment. The gift, along with later gifts, were acknowledged in the naming of the

Robins Center The Robins Center is a 7,201-seat multi-purpose arena in Richmond, Virginia. Opened in 1972, the arena is home to the University of Richmond Spiders basketball. It hosted the ECAC South (now known as the Colonial Athletic Association) men's baske ...

arena and the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business. He also gave extensively to local nonprofits including the

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, United States, which opened in 1936. The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the supp ...

, the

Richmond Public Library (United States) Richmond Public Library is a public library in Richmond, Virginia. History While many other Public libraries in North America#Carnegie libraries, libraries in the United States were provided initial funding by Andrew Carnegie, the City of Richmo ...

, the

, and

Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Richmond, Virginia. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...

.New York Times, July 7, 1995

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robins, E. Claiborne Sr. American health care chief executives 1910 births 1995 deaths