“Few names are as deeply woven into the fabric of Salisbury as the Robertson family,” said Catawba College President, Dr. David P. Nelson. “We are grateful for their support for enhancing a facility that so richly benefits our campus and local community.”
Based in New York, the Robertson Foundation was established in 1996 by Tiger Management founder Julian H. Robertson Jr., his wife, Josie, and their family. The Foundation empowers extraordinary organizations and individuals to seek transformational breakthroughs across three principal areas: education, environment, and medical research.
A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
The Robertson family’s support of Catawba spans more than five decades and now exceeds $4.5 million in philanthropic gifts. In 1987, the College-Community Center was renamed in honor of Blanche and Julian Robertson following a $1 million unrestricted gift from their son, Julian H. Robertson, Jr. His sisters, Wyndham Robertson and Blanche Bacon, also contributed, underscoring the family’s unified commitment to Salisbury and Catawba College.
The Robertson College-Community Center opened in 1964 and remains at the heart of campus and community life. From graduations and theatre productions to symphonies and civic meetings, it has welcomed thousands each year.
AN INVITATION TO JOIN
The Robertson Foundation’s $2.5 million challenge grant not only honors this history—it sets the stage for the future. It is designed to encourage additional gifts from alumni, friends, and partners who share in the vision of preserving the Robertson College- Community Center as a hub for education and community connection.
“This gift is both a tribute and an invitation,” said Meg Dees, Vice President of Development. “It honors the Robertson family’s remarkable impact while calling on us to rise to the challenge.”
CONTINUING THE ROBERTSON VISION
For more than a century, the Robertson family has modeled what it means to give for the good of Salisbury. It is their most recent gift, through the Robertson Foundation, that carries that vision forward, reminding us that good goes far when shared with others.
“This building has always been more than bricks and mortar,” said Nelson. “It is where our community gathers to celebrate, reflect, and imagine. Thanks to the Robertson Foundation, we now have the opportunity to ensure it continues to inspire for the next sixty years.”
