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WHEREAS, Rev. Jimmy Joe Robinson began his journey in Connellsville, PA in 1927 as a mischievous young man swimming in the Yough River and jumping trains on the local B&O Railroad until he made sports his calling. In high school, he lettered in basketball, football, and track, and earned All-State honors in football and would go on to become the first African-American to play for the University of Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, His freshman year would be interrupted by a stint in the Army in 1945. But he would go on to have a stellar career. In 1949, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, was drafted 3rd by the Cleveland Browns and was promptly drafted Uncle Sam again in 1949. He played football with the special services at Fort Meyer until his release. Their son, James Jr., was born in 1952 during his second stretch; and,
WHEREAS, Jimmy Joe met Betty Hord on a blind date while the two attended the university and would go on to be married in 1949. Later, after being let go by the Montreal Allouettes Canadian football team Jimmy Joe and Betty Robinson lived in Montreal with friends, but would return to Pittsburgh after accepting a call from Christ. Jimmy Joe attended the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, graduated, and became a Presbyterian Minister; and,
WHEREAS, Rev. Robinson accepted a calling, first from Brotherhood Church in Wichita, KA, and then to Bidwell Presbyterian Church in 1963. Seeing a need in Manchester, he took his ministry to the streets. With the help of the Bidwell congregation and session and other neighborhood leaders, he fought the slum landlords who were taking advantage of poor Manchester residents, turned back a tide of commercial development that threatened the community; and,
WHEREAS, in the aftermath of the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. and Dr. Robinson would, with the help of residents create two impactful programs: Bidwell Training Center in 1968 and the Bidwell After-School Program in 1972. The After-School progra...
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