David Robinson (philanthropist)
Encyclopedia
Sir David Robinson was a British entrepreneur
and philanthropist
. He donated £18 million to the University of Cambridge
to establish a new college in his name. Robinson College, Cambridge
, the newest in the university, was formally opened in 1981. Robinson also donated £3 million to start the Rosie Hospital, named after his mother, which is now a part of Addenbrooke's Hospital
in Cambridge.
Robinson was born in Cambridge
, England
, but later moved to Bedford. He built a business renting
radio
s and television
s, which was commercially successful. Robinson was also involved with horse-racing: in the late 1960s and 1970s he owned a large number of winning horses which also yielded significant profits.
His racing stables, Clarehaven
, was one of the biggest racing stables in England. His string of 120-150 horses was split between two trainers, Michael Jarvis and Paul Davey.
He was knight
ed in 1985, and died two years later in Newmarket, the centre of English horse-racing.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. He donated £18 million to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
to establish a new college in his name. Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Robinson is the newest of the Cambridge colleges, and is unique in being the only one to have been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of either sex.- History :The college was founded...
, the newest in the university, was formally opened in 1981. Robinson also donated £3 million to start the Rosie Hospital, named after his mother, which is now a part of Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital in Cambridge, England, with strong links to the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street with £4,500 from the will of Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catharine's College...
in Cambridge.
Robinson was born in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but later moved to Bedford. He built a business renting
Renting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
s and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
s, which was commercially successful. Robinson was also involved with horse-racing: in the late 1960s and 1970s he owned a large number of winning horses which also yielded significant profits.
His racing stables, Clarehaven
Clarehaven Stables
Clarehaven Stables is a Thoroughbred horse racing stable built next to the Bury Road in the horse racing town of Newmarket, Suffolk.It was built early in the 20th century and was bought by the businessman and philanthropist Sir David Robinson in the 1960s, after which it became the base for his...
, was one of the biggest racing stables in England. His string of 120-150 horses was split between two trainers, Michael Jarvis and Paul Davey.
He was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1985, and died two years later in Newmarket, the centre of English horse-racing.