James D. Robinson III

American businessman (1935–2024)

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Bettye Bradley

(m. 1957; div. 1983)

Linda Gosden

(m. 1984)

James Dixon Robinson III (November 19, 1935 – March 18, 2024) was an American businessman best known for his position as the chief executive officer of American Express Co. from 1977 until his retirement in 1993.^[1]

Early life and education

James Dixon Robinson III was born to a wealthy family in Atlanta on November 19, 1935.^[2] He was educated at the Woodberry Forest School and attended Georgia Tech's School of Industrial Management where civil rights icon Blake Van Leer was president. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1957^[3]^[4] where he was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity. After college, Robinson joined the United States Navy.^[5]^[6] He later earned an MBA from Harvard University in 1961.^[7]

American Express

James D. Robinson III served as Chairman & CEO of the American Express Company for approximately 16 years. He held additional positions at the company prior to that. While at American Express, Robinson achieved the senior position at the company after his competitor for the position, Robert Morley, launched a thwarted hostile takeover of McGraw-Hill. Robinson went on to purchase Shearson Lehman, IDS, First Data Corporation, Trade Development Bank (Switzerland), and several others. He co-created Warner-Amex with Steve Ross.^[8] He played a prominent role in the RJR Nabisco leveraged buyout battle as chronicled in the book Barbarians at the Gate. Actor Fred Thompson played Robinson in the 1993 movie.^[2]

By the end of Robinson's tenure, he acknowledged that it had not gone well, saying that his "major miscalculation was ‘a focus on overly rapid growth.'"^[9]

Other positions

Robinson became a director of The Coca-Cola Company in 1975.^[10] He was a general partner and co-founder of RRE Ventures, a private information technology venture investment firm, along with his son, James D. Robinson IV, a venture capitalist, and a classmate of his son from Harvard Business School, Stuart J. Ellman. Robinson was also a president of J.D. Robinson, Inc., a strategic consulting firm. He was previously a long-time Director and Chairman of Bristol-Myers Squibb, and of Violy, Byorum & Partners, which operated in South America.^[1]

Personal life

In 1957, Robinson married Bettye Bradley; they had two children and divorced in 1983.^[2] He married Linda Gosden Robinson in July 1984.^[13] They have two children together.^[14]

On March 18, 2024, Robinson died from respiratory failure, a complication of pneumonia, at a hospital in Roslyn, New York. He was 88.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Olan, Kerry A. (September 20, 1999). "The return of Jimmy Three Sticks". Forbes. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hershey, Robert D. Jr. (March 18, 2024). "James D. Robinson III, Former Chief of American Express, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
^ "A New York VC Spotlight: James Robinson III – AlleyWatch".
^ Schwartz, Jerry (Summer 1993). "On His Own". Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
^ "James D. Robinson III". www.nndb.com.
^ "DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI OF CHI PHI FRATERNITY". Chi Phi Fraternity. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
^ "James D. Robinson III". NNDB. Retrieved December 21, 2009.
^ Bob Pittman (July 28, 1991). "COVER STORY : The Man Behind the Monster : It may be hard to recall life before MTV, but Bob Pittman, who shaped and sold the concept, remembers it well". Los Angeles Times.
^ Meehan, John (March 19, 1990). "Failed Vision: Jim Robinson's Big Plans for American Express Aren't Working". BusinessWeek.
^ "James D. Robinson III". Board of Directors. The Coca-Cola Company. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013.
^ "PrimeRevenue Announces Board, Executive Appointment and Continues Growth".
^ Global Senior Advisory Board
^ Fromson, Brett D. (October 3, 1993). "RANK HATH ITS PRIVILEGES, AND ITS PENTHOUSE". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
^ "Linda Robinson | US Squash". Retrieved February 22, 2023.
^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
^ "Henry R. Kravis Biography and Interview". Henry R. Kravis presenting the Golden Plate Award to James D. Robinson III, Chairman of American Express during the introductory dinner and symposium of the 1991 Summit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.