Lawrence Wood "Chip" Robert Jr. (1889–1976) was a 1908 graduate of the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

and founder of noted Atlanta engineering and architectural firm,

Robert and Company Robert and Company is an architectural engineering firm based in Atlanta, Georgia with multiple offices in the southern United States. It was founded in 1917. Its founder was L.W. "Chip" Robert Jr. The firm provides multiple services including ...

. He served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the early years of the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...

Early life and education

While at Georgia Tech, Robert was the captain of the cross country team in 1906 and the

Georgia Tech football The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football Program represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in the NCAA Division 1 Collegiate Competitors in the sport of American football. The Yellow Jackets college football team competes in the Football ...

and baseball teams in 1908, and earned the maximum of 12 varsity letters. Robert attended Georgia Tech from the fall of 1903 until the summer of 1909, graduating with a degree in civil engineering 1908 and one in experimental engineering in 1909.

Career

He founded

, an architectural firm, in 1917. Robert was the president of the

Atlanta Crackers The Atlanta Crackers were Minor League Baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1966. History Atlanta played its first ...

, Atlanta's minor league baseball team. Robert was appointed

Assistant Secretary of the Treasury A United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury is one of several positions in the United States Department of the Treasury, serving under the United States Secretary of the Treasury. History According to U.S. statute, there are eight Assista ...

and served from 1933 to 1936; he supervised the

Public Works of Art Project The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) was a New Deal program designed to employ artists that operated from 1933 to 1934. The program was headed by Edward Bruce, under the United States Treasury Department with funding from the Civil Works Admi ...

, the first arts project of the

. He was then appointed secretary of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well ...

in 1936, and was the executive officer of the Conference of Southeastern Governors in November 1937. Robert was appointed to the

Georgia Board of Regents The Georgia Board of Regents oversees the University System of Georgia as part of the state government of Georgia in the United States. The University System of Georgia is composed of all state public institutions of higher education in the state. ...

in 1937. He was a member during the

Cocking affair The Cocking affair was an attempt in 1941 by Georgia governor Eugene Talmadge to exert direct control over the state's educational system, particularly through the firing of Professor Walter Cocking because of his support for racial integration, ...

and voted with the governor to remove

Walter Cocking Walter D. Cocking (1891January 14, 1964) was an academic administrator. As Dean of the College Education of the University of Georgia, he was fired in 1941, rehired, and fired again for supporting racial integration. The episode is known as the C ...

Memberships and legacy

Robert was the first-ever recipient of Georgia Tech's Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1934. He is the namesake for the "Alumni House", the building in which the

Georgia Tech Alumni Association The Georgia Tech Alumni Association is the official alumni association for the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Originally known as the Georgia Tech National Alumni Association, it was chartered in June 1908 and incorporated in 1947. ...

has been located since 1979. A scholarship fund was named in his honor in 1971 and designated for the

National Merit Scholarship Program The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a privately funded, not-for-profit organizati ...

in 1979. He was inducted into the

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in the United States at . Exhibitions The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Ind ...

in 1989. His daughter,

Louisa Robert Louisa may refer to: Places ;Australia * Louisa Island (Tasmania) ;Canada * Louisa or Lac-Louisa, a community in Wentworth, Quebec ;Malaysia * Louisa Reef, Sabah ;United States * Louisa, Kentucky * Louisa, Missouri * Louisa, Virginia * Lo ...

, was a member of the 1932 United States Olympic team.

References

External links

Finding Aid
Lawrence Wood Robert Jr. Papers at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of h ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert, L. W. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football players Georgia Tech alumni 1889 births 1976 deaths American football quarterbacks United States Assistant Secretaries of the Treasury

Early life and education

Career

Memberships and legacy

See also

References

External links