ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 21, 1997 TAG: 9702210072
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
As a child, Julian Robertson knew exactly how to torment his younger sister, Wyndham.
"Wyndham is well known as someone who tears up easily," he said. "I was the one who taught her to cry. I would thoroughly chew up an Oreo cookie, put it on my tongue, call her over and tell her 'I've eaten Mother.'''
As an adult, Robertson found the perfect way to apologize for his childish pranks. He donated $3million to have a library named after her. Once again, his sister burst into tears.
The donation made Thursday in honor of Wyndham Robertson, vice chairwoman of the college's Board of Trustees, is the largest in Hollins College's 155-year history. It was announced at the college's Founder's Day convocation.
"He made a lot of mischief when we were young," Wyndham Robertson said after the ceremony. "He's more than made up for it in later life. If he didn't have a penny, he would be a wonderful brother."
The gift pushed the college over the top in its five-year, $40.8 million fund-raising campaign, which continues through June. The college has raised $43.6 million, including $12.6 million designated for a new library, which will be named the Wyndham Robertson Library.
Wyndham Robertson, 59, graduated from Hollins in 1958 with a major in economics. Although she aspired as a child to become a Rockette or a secretary, she chose a career in journalism. She joined Fortune magazine in 1961, where she worked her way up from researcher-reporter to assistant managing editor. She interviewed Henry Ford and Vice President Hubert Humphrey during her career. Her reporting focused attention on the small number of women who had reached top positions in the country's major corporations.
In 1986, she returned to her native North Carolina to become the first female vice president in the 16-campus University of North Carolina system. As vice president for communications, she oversaw university publications and the statewide public television network until she retired last year. She also worked to improve recruitment and retention of women in the university's administration.
At Hollins, Robertson served on the search committee for President Janet Rasmussen, who joined the college last summer. Robertson also has helped fund the writer-in-residence program at the college.
Her brother, Julian, is an investment strategist and a Wall Street financial adviser. The $3 million gift was from him and his wife, Josie. The largest previous gift was $2 million in 1995 for scholarships, from Frank and Jane Parke Batten of Virginia Beach.
More than 200 people attended the convocation, including 45 members and friends of the Robertson family.
After joking about her brother's childhood mischief, Wyndham Robertson said she planned to work on her own behavior now that she has a library named after her.
"I'm going to have to clean up my act," she said. "I was almost captured for speeding coming over here, but I won't be doing that again."
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Wyndham Robertsonby CNB