Robinson to Take Reins at The Duke Endowment

Friday, January 19, 2001

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Trustees of The Duke Endowment have elected Russell M. Robinson II to serve as chairman of the board, effective July 1. Robinson, who will be the eighth person to hold the position of chairman since the Endowment's founding in 1924, succeeds Mary D.B.T. Semans, who was elected to the new position of chairman emeritus. She chose not to continue as chairman after having headed the Endowment board since 1982.

"I am immensely honored to have the opportunity to serve as chairman of The Duke Endowment, which has done so much for the Carolinas during the past 76 years," said Robinson. "It is an even greater honor because of the beloved chairman whom I succeed. Mary's tireless and devoted leadership has made her the living symbol of The Duke Endowment, and she will always be our inspiration and our model. We are fortunate that her new position will enable us to continue to draw on her wisdom, compassion, and experience."

"Russell will be a wonderful chairman," Semans said. "His strong record of leadership at the Endowment and his extensive knowledge of the Carolinas and its people make him an ideal choice. We have worked together closely over the years, and I am pleased that we will continue to do so as he assumes his new duties."

Robinson has served on the Endowment's board since 1987, most recently as chairman of the committees on health care and child care. He also serves as a member of the Endowment's audit, finance, investment, and rural church committees.

Robinson is a member of the Charlotte-based law firm Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. He is an authority on North Carolina corporate law and the author of the standard text on the subject. An active participant in civic life, he has served as chairman of the board of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and as counsel to the John Motley Morehead Foundation. He is currently chairman of the UNC-Charlotte Foundation.

A native of Charlotte, he attended Princeton University and received his law degree from Duke University. He was editor-in-chief of the Duke Law Journal and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif.

Semans, the great-niece of Endowment founder James B. Duke, has served on the Endowment's board since 1957. She has a distinguished record as a philanthropist and patron of the performing arts, particularly at Duke University, where she earned a bachelor's degree, and the N.C. School of the Arts, where she was a founding trustee.

She has also served on the board of trustees at Duke University, and as a member of the Durham City Council.

In her new position as chairman emeritus, she will have the responsibilities of a regular board member, as well as other duties as an ambassador for and representative of the Endowment.

The Endowment is one of the nation's largest private foundations. Its mission is to serve the people of North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting selected programs of higher education, health care, children's welfare, and spiritual life.

In 2000, the Endowment awarded grants of more than $98 million. Grants since 1924 total more than $1.5 billion.