William Robinson

William P. (Bill) Robinson assumed his duties as the seventeenth president of Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, in July 1993. He came to Whitworth from Manchester College, in Indiana, where he served as president from 1986-1993. Like Whitworth, Manchester is a private, church-related liberal arts college noted for its academic excellence.

Since arriving at Whitworth, Bill has focused on expanding the college's financial resource base, overseeing capital projects, improving communication and organizational structure on campus, and opening up new lines of communication with alumni, friends, and other constituencies of the college.

Whitworth continues on a very promising trajectory under Bill's leadership. Over the past five years, applications have almost doubled, undergraduate enrollment has been at its capacity, and the total has grown beyond 2,000 students. In addition, the college's academic profile and student retention numbers are at all time highs. Whitworth has recently completed a number of capital projects, including a new campus center; a renovated science center; an athletics complex for soccer, softball and field events; an and expanded and renovated classroom/faculty office building. Also, in the largest survey ever conducted on the attitudes of employees at Christian organizations, Whitworth recently was named the best workplace in its category of colleges, universities, and seminaries.

Whitworth students quickly became accustomed to seeing Bill among them, cheering at sporting events, enjoying plays and concerts on campus, chatting in dorm lunges, playing noontime hoops, and sharing meals and conversation in the dining hall. Both current students and alums mention how much they appreciate the fact that he knows them by name and obviously enjoys joking with them as well as discussing the big questions of life. In fact, Bill's connection with students is integral to his person and to his presidency. "My riches moments at Whitworth are the ones I share with students," he says. "My calling is to work with and for them."

Degrees and Honors

• Doctorate, University of Pittsburgh
• Master's degree, Wheaton College
• Bachelor's degree, University of Northern Iowa

Service

Board of Directors

• Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce, Past Chair
• Whitworth College
• Whitworth Foundation
• Princeton Theological Seminary
• Washington Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
• Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities
• Spokane Symphony
• U.S. Bank, Spokane/North Central Washington Region
• ING Educators Advisory Board
• Higher Education Leadership Group of Spokane, Founding Co-chair

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