Saying Goodbye To Ferol Robinson

Ferol Robinson, 88, retired Sam Houston State University vice president and mentor to hundreds of communication professionals throughout Texas and the nation, died Feb. 4 in Huntsville.

"Dr. R" retired in 1981 as vice president for university affairs. At that time his administrative responsibilities included student life, athletics, intramurals, development and fund raising, alumni relations, scholarships and endowments, special programs, student recruitment, the Lowman Student Center, information and publication services, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, student housing, the health center, university police, financial aid, and vending.

He came to Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1938, earning both bachelor's (1942) and master's (1947) degrees.

After serving in the U. S. Army for three and a half years during World War II, he returned to Sam Houston in 1946 and married Mary Creed Engledow, who died in 2004. They had two daughters, the late Pamela Ann Robinson, and Patricia Gail Trammell.

After receiving his doctorate from the University of Missouri in 1953, he returned to Sam Houston State to direct the journalism program for 20 years, training hundreds of news men and women, teachers, public and industrial relations personnel, and journalism graduates who pursued other careers. He was co-editor of the Alumnus Magazine and faculty sponsor for the Houstonian campus newspaper. He was involved in many campus and community projects, chairing the homecoming committee from 1954 until his retirement, chairing and serving on the athletic council and serving as athletic director, as well as 10 or more other committees.

He was active in the Huntsville community, serving two terms on the Huntsville City Council and two terms on the board of directors of the Huntsville Walker County Chamber of Commerce. He also served three terms as a member of the administrative board of the First United Methodist Church, was a member and treasurer of the campus Wesley Foundation, and president of the First United Methodist board of trustees.

His students loved him because he always had time to listen to a problem, give advice, or help them through a financial or emotional crisis. He was a rare combination of teacher/father to hundreds of journalism majors and minors.

He was a gifted writer who could turn a phrase but never turned away a student. Although he had a big office and broad responsibilities when he retired in 1981, he said that his happiest days were in the Houstonian newsroom "mole-hole," teaching, advising and producing publicity on Sam Houston.

Even after his retirement, he helped many students through the several scholarships established in his honor by former students. Since February, many additional donations have been made to the Ferol Robinson Endowment through the Office of University Advancement; Box 2537; Huntsville, TX 77341-2537.

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