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"We didn't found a children's Home, we built it." An Interview with Mrs. T. A. Robinson

At this year's Heritage Award Dinner, we are honoring Mrs. Jean Robinson, who along with her late husband, T. A. "Tom" Robinson, Jr., founded Boys and Girls Country.  We thought it would be wonderful for Mrs. Jean to share her memories of how Boys and Girls Country began.  In July one of our kids, Alexandra (we call her Alex), met with Mrs. Robinson and they talked about the earliest days of our Home.  Enjoy!    -Lou Palma, Executive Director

An Interview with Mrs. T. A. Robinson
By: Alexandra P., age 18

Mr. T. A. "Tom" Robinson, Jr. in front of the Robinson Campus on Roberts Road in the '70s
Mrs. Robinson in the late '90's, sharing the photo of Tom Robinson which still hangs in the administration building

“Tom didn’t know one thing about raising children, but he did know how to build, so he went right to work.”  They built the T-building, Landis Cottage, and the administration building, which had an office for Ms. Tis, who still works at Boys and Girls Country today! They kept building cottages, and Mrs. Robinson made the houses look and feel like a Home. She made pillows for the couches and beds.  She said, “We worked hard, with our money and with our hearts. We didn’t found a children’s home, we built it.”

I loved hearing Mrs. Robinson’s stories about the early days at Boys and Girls Country.  She said that Board members used to go to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and buy cattle and horses.  They would donate them to Boys and Girls Country to be auctioned off at the Spring Barbeque (now Spring Festival), and then they’d buy them again and donate the animals back for us to raise on the ranch!

Alex Eight years old 2001	Alex, 17, sharing her story at the 2010 Heritage Award Dinner.

Alexandra is in the 12^th grade. She came to Boys and Girls Country in 2001 when she was eight years old. She plans to follow in the footsteps of her two older brothers and join our College and Career program next year, where she plans to attend college and study fashion merchandising.

 We are delighted to honor Mrs. T. A. Robinson at this year's Heritage Award Dinner.  For more information about what is sure to be a fabulous night, visit www.heritagegala.org.