Have you ever met someone that made you truly question the life you have led? They touched so many lives, they seemed to go from one incredible adventure to the next, they achieved so much, and earned countless awards and accolades. They made you wonder…what have I been doing the last 30 years.
Well, that happened to me recently. I was doing some research for an upcoming story and came across the name “Jack Robinson.” I was looking into an athlete with ties to Augusta, so, when Robinson’s name came up, I was intrigued. He had been an All-American College Basketball player and Olympian. He also served as the pastor at First Baptist Church of Augusta…the very Church where I married my wife 22 years ago. How had I never heard of him?
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I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to local sports, and I was very familiar with the church where Robinson was pastor for more than 20 years. Yet, I did not know anything about him. I started devouring every article, story, or column written about him. I just could not stop. I wanted to know everything. Finally, I checked my phone, and it was 1:34 a.m. I had been reading about Robinson for more than three hours. In my research I did find a few local stories, so there were certainly some Augustan’s that knew about Jack Robinson. However, for those that were not aware that we had such an accomplished gentleman right here in Augusta, I felt this story had to be told.
Robert Lloyd Jackson “Jack” Robinson was born April 26, 1927 in Fort Worth, Texas. He was a terrific athlete from a very early age. He attended R.L. Paschal High School where he earned 13 varsity letters and led his team to a state championship in basketball his senior campaign in 1945 under the tutelage of legendary coach Charlie Turner.
When it came time to choose a college, despite dozens of scholarship offers, the choice was easy: he would attend Baylor University. It was the Baptist school in the state of Texas, both his parents had attended Baylor, and the athletic director had been college teammates with his father.
While he had plenty of reasons to choose Baylor, basketball was certainly not one of them. By the time he was eligible to play, the Bears were coming off an embarrassing 0-17 season.
However, all that changed when the gritty 6’0” guard named Jack Robinson started suiting up for the team. During his first season in the backcourt, Baylor posted a 25-5 record and won the Southwest Conference Title. Not bad for a school that had never won more than 14 games in a season in the program’s entire 40-year history.
Two years later, the Bears would win 24 games and advance to the Final Four at Madison Square Garden in New York. There, Baylor topped Kansas State to earn a spot in the National Championship Game versus powerhouse Kentucky. The Bears would fall to the heavily favored Wildcats to finish as national runners-up.
Robinson was named National All-American for a second time, and his Bears were invited to stay in New York for the Olympic Trials. This eight-team tournament would help the coaches select the 14 players who would represent the United States in the 1948 London Olympic Games. While Robinson did not feel he played that well due to a leg injury and the rigors of an entire season, he had obviously impressed the right people. One morning, as he entered the elevator in the team hotel to go downstairs for breakfast, he happened to glance at the stack of newspapers in the corner. The headline read “U.S. Olympic Team chosen” with a subhead of “Lumpp, Robinson” added.
Not long after his trip to New York City, Robinson found himself on the SS America bound for the Olympic Games in London, England. While the team members arrived with much fanfare, their excitement would soon take a backseat to the reality of war. World War II had ended three years earlier, but the city was still in ruins. They had not had sufficient time or resources to rebuild in many areas. Simple items like chewing gum were a luxury unknown to the children in that part of the world. The team gave out candy bars and chewing gum to the kids and watched them taste candy for the first time.
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“They did not even know how to chew, it was new to them” stated Robinson.
Once during a meal, Robinson’s meat tasted a little different to him, maybe sweeter, and he inquired about the flavor. He found out it was horse meat. Well, one bite was plenty for the 21-year- old American.
Yes, to say the trip was eye-opening would be an understatement. However, it had some incredible moments that Robinson and his teammates would never forget. Prior to the start of the games, they went on a tour playing exhibitions games in front of crowds that largely knew nothing about the game. That did not stop 50,000 people from attending the team’s exhibition in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Robinson was also invited to represent the team for high tea at Buckingham Palace with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and their daughter…the future Queen Elizabeth II. This was another moment in Robinson’s life that he would cherish forever.
The U.S. Team would post a perfect 8-0 record on the way to winning the gold medal. Robinson still gets choked up today thinking about having the medal placed around his neck while the national anthem played.
Once Robinson’s playing days were over, he pursued his calling…the Baptist ministry. While in college he was already very active in church. Teaching and spreading the Gospel became a lifetime passion for him. He was teaching all over the world when he was contacted by Robert C. Norman (the chairman of the pulpit committee) to gauge his interest in the vacant post as pastor at First Baptist Church of Augusta.
Robinson explained he had a few months of responsibilities with his current work, but Norman was able to work out a part-time schedule until Robinson could move to Augusta and become the full-time pastor of the church. From 1953 to 1974, he would serve as pastor and help the church grow into the largest in the area. After stepping down his post at the church, he began teaching homiletics in Europe, including Copenhagen, Denmark. And, while he taught and pursued other interests, he and his family remained in Augusta and remain extremely close to First Baptist.
Over the years Robinson has been recognized for his athletic and pastoral achievements all over the world. He was a 3-time all-conference and two-time all-American performer in college. He won an Olympic gold medal. He was named to Baylor University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1963. Three years later he was inducted into the Texas State Sports Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Southwest Conference’s 75th Anniversary Team. He is responsible for bringing NFL Hall of Famer Otto Graham to Augusta to help grow and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the area. He also brought legendary Billy Graham to Augusta. And, in 2012, 64 years after he helped the U.S. win Olympic gold, the games returned to London and so did Robinson. He was the only member of the ’48 Team to return. And, this trip was extra special as his wife, two daughters, their husbands, his grandchildren and great grandchildren all made the trip.
The icing on the cake may have been when Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was the head coach for Team USA, invited Robinson to speak to the team before their first game. He told them all about spending seven days on a ship just to get to England and that the city was still in rubble from World War II.
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Rather than staying in suites at the finest hotels or in the Penthouse at Olympic Village, Robinson’s team stayed several miles outside of London in an old Royal Air Force barracks. One player took a special interest in Robinson’s experiences in 1948. That player…Kobe Bryant. Bryant followed Robinson out of a team meeting to get more details on what things were like for the players 64 years prior. His speech had the team pumped up to play as well. Team USA scored 160 points in an 80-point victory over Nigeria. Both numbers are Olympic Records.
I had the honor of being able to speak with Robinson, who still lives in Augusta wife his wife, Charlotte. The two have been married for 70 years.
When I called Mrs. Robinson answered, and we spoke briefly. She oozed southern hospitality. Then she gave the phone to her husband. I almost went blank. I had so many questions, but where would I start? He made things very easy. He had always been an extraordinary communicator and, even approaching 94 years old, that has not changed. His memory was vivid from his time in London for the Olympics. He detailed stories as if they had happened the week before. Picking out his fondest memory was nearly impossible. Winning the gold medal, meeting the Royal Family, having the opportunity to touch so many lives through ministry…there were many incredible memories to recount.
However, choosing his favorite basketball player came a little easier. When the question was posed, he immediately said, “Don Barksdale,” emphatically. Barksdale was his old Olympic teammate and the first Black player to play for Team USA.
Robinson still follows the game closely. As a matter of fact, on the day we spoke, he was excited to watch his beloved Baylor squad, ranked No. 2 in the country take on their arch rival, eighth ranked Kansas. Later that night, after Baylor defeated Kansas 77-69, I had a smile from ear-to-ear thinking about how much joy that victory brought to a man who has spent his life bringing joy to so many others.
The term hero is thrown around far too much these days. However, if you ever want to teach your kids about a true local hero, Jack Robinson’s story would not be a bad place to start.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com
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