"The best damn thing that happened to me in my life was coming to Iowa."
ME alumnus Joseph W.J. Robinson’s Iowa degree has lifelong impact.
When Joseph W.J. Robinson, a young African American man from Tampa, Florida, arrived at the University of Iowa in 1972, he faced culture — and weather — shock. He came to campus on a James Van Allen Physics Scholarship, leaving behind his girlfriend and driving through Mississippi and Arkansas to reach Iowa City.
Now a credentialed professional engineer, Robinson said going to college wasn’t entirely in his hands. “My mother didn’t ask if I wanted to go to college. She said, ‘You are going to college,’ and she filled out the paperwork,” he recalled.
Thelma A. Robinson, a teacher with three college degrees and several professional certificates, was determined to see her children succeed. After being rebuffed in Florida, she pursued a post-graduate degree in education administration at Iowa, setting the stage for her children to follow.
Family Support and Academic Challenges
At one point, Thelma and three of her children lived in campus residence halls. Family support helped Joseph acclimate to Iowa. He walked on to the track and field team and became a four-year letterman under Francis Cretzmeyer. For many years, he held a top 10 school record in the long jump.
Initially aspiring to be a sports broadcaster, an occupational test suggested Robinson had an aptitude for mechanical engineering. Despite academic challenges, an athletics department tutoring program, Iowa’s special support services, and friends in the Theta Tau engineering fraternity helped him navigate the rigorous curriculum.
Living on 25-cent flapjacks from Hamburg Inn No. 1 and utilizing resources like the African American House and International House, Robinson thrived. He learned the importance of perseverance, often studying alone in the student union while others attended games. His academic performance improved significantly, earning him the Archie Alexander Fellowship. He excelled in thermodynamics, fluids, and heat transfer, laying the foundation for his engineering career.
Leadership and Legacy
Robinson's leadership skills shone through as he helped establish the University of Iowa chapter of the Society of Black Engineers with support from Dean Philip Hubbard. The society provided a platform for Black, women, and other engineers to succeed.
In 1975, Robinson and other engineering students from around the nation gathered at Purdue University for the first national conference of the Society of Black Engineers, voting to establish a national organization — the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) — dedicated to improving the recruitment and retention of minority engineers.
After graduating from Iowa with a BSME in 1977, Robinson worked at Collins Engineering, Rockwell, and the Tampa Electric Company. In 1990, he started his own engineering consulting firm, RHC and Associates, Inc., and remains active in management, business development, project development, and construction management.
Despite the distance, his love for Iowa remains deep. He has been a member of the Tampa Bay IOWA Club for many years.
Reflecting on his journey, Robinson said, “The best damn thing that happened to me in my life was coming to Iowa.” The quality education and experiences at Iowa shaped his career and life, making engineering a way of life for him.