William Russell Robinson (February 5, 1942 – June 9, 2020) was an American politician who served as a member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1989 to 2002.

Early life and education

A native of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Robinson is a 1960 graduate of

Schenley High School Schenley High School, located in the North Oakland neighborhood at the edge of the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a historic building opened in 1916 that was a part of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The Schenley High School building ...

. He earned a degree in political science from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

in 1964 and a master's degree in political science from

Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened as the Pittsbu ...

in 1972.

Career

Robinson began his career as a member of the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city ...

. He was first elected to represent the 19th legislative district in the

in 1988. He was defeated in the 2002 Democratic primary by

Jake Wheatley Jake Wheatley Jr. is an American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 19th district, covering the Hill District, North Side, South Side, Allentown, Hazelwood, Downtown Pittsburgh, The Bluff, ...

, a staffer for

City Councilman Sala Udin, a Robinson rival.

Death

Robinson died on June 9, 2020, in Pittsburgh.Longtime Pittsburgh Bill Robinson remembered as advocate for minority rights
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References

External links

* * 1942 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania Duquesne University alumni Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences alumni Politicians from Pittsburgh Pittsburgh City Council members 20th-century African-American politicians 21st-century African-American politicians {{Pennsylvania-PARepresentative-stub