Effie Robinson Collection

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2023-037

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Effie Robinson Collection (circa 1930s; 1942; circa 1950s; 1952-1985, 2001, 2003; undated) contains 1 box and 1 linear ft. of material regarding Effie Robinson, a San Francisco based social worker who was a pioneer for championing minority children in need of adoption, and educational leadership programs for minority youths. This collection contains a scrapbook possibly compiled by Robinson, or someone who knew her and contains clippings, articles, photographs, telegrams, memorandums, letters, and other material mostly regarding Robinson’s work with MARCH (Minority Adoption Recruitment of Children’s Homes); various awards won by Robinson including San Francisco Woman of the Year, Zeta Phi Beta (National Service Sorority), Ten Most Distinguished Women in San Francisco; Robinson’s appointments in Junior Leaders Program, San Francisco Housing Authority, California Housing Finance Agency; and other awards and honors Robinson received. Also included in this collection is a copy of Robinson’s master thesis "Social Problems of Dependent and Neglected Negro Children in Oakland, California", copies of a speech giving at Wave Award honoring Effie Robinson; an obituary; "Effie Robinson: Reflections on a Healdsburg Childhood, Excerpts from an Oral History Interview with Holly Hoods", and photographs of Robinson at various social gatherings, a few childhood photographs with her family, portraits, and images taken presumably in regards to her work with the Benjamin Franklin Junior High School Junior Leaders Program.

Dates

circa 1930s; 1942; circa 1950s; 1952-1985, 2001, 2003; undated

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Conditions Governing Use- Photographs

The Gerth Archives and Special Collections is not the copyright holder for these photographs. If a patron wishes to make copies of materials in this collection, it is the responsibility of the researcher to attempt to locate the holder of the copyright to obtain permission for publication. Full responsibility for legal questions relating to the use and publication of manuscripts rests with the researcher.

Biographical / Historical

Effie Robinson (1920-2003) was born to Jessie C. Robinson, a gardener at the City Golf Links, and Elzora Harper in Healdsburg, California. Robinson attended elementary and high school in Healdsburg and would go on to attend Santa Rosa Junior College before relocating to San Francisco to attend San Francisco State University (SFSU). While at SFSU Robinson worked at a nursery school. After graduation in 1943, Robinson attended the University of California School of Social Welfare and graduated in 1945 as the first African American graduate. In 1945, Robinson joined the Family Service Agency of San Francisco (formerly, the Family and Children’s Agency) where she worked as a case worker for families, and for sometime, was the only African American on staff. She would go on to become acting director in 1956. In 1954, Robinson started working for MARCH! (Minority Adoption Recruitment of Children’s Homes) a project for children of national and racial minority groups. Robinson would continue her work to educate San Francisco to the needs for adoptive homes for minority children, as well as her commitment to fostering the education needs of minority children through her membership with Black women’s service organizations such as Bay Area Service League, and Links, Inc. Through a co-sponsorship between Links, Inc. and the YWCA, Robinson led the Junior Leaders Program, established in 1961 at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School, which aimed to foster leadership potential for children. Because of her work, Robinson received various awards and attended recognition events such as: San Francisco Woman of the Year, Zeta Phi Beta (National Service Sorority); being named one of the Ten Most Distinguished Women in San Francisco; Woman of the Month August 1975 for Ladies Home Journal; the Koshland Award for a senior citizen program; participation in the Golden Anniversary of the White House Conference on Children and Youth, and others. Other positions Robinson held during her career was her appointment as the Director of Human Relations and Tenant Services at the San Francisco Housing Authority starting in 1964; and Director of Senior Programs and Social Services, as well as being named to the Advisory Committee on the Human Rights Commission, Curriculum Committee of the San Francisco Board of Education, and a board member of a United Nations program for the San Francisco School District. Robinson passed away at the age of 83 in 2003 after an apparent fall.

Sources: "Effie Robinson-- housing director, political activist"; "Miss Effie Robinson", Wave Award honor speech; Scrapbook. All sources can be found within this collection.

Extent

1 box (one scrapbook; twenty-two photographs; master's thesis; loose documents)

1 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains one scrapbook, photographs, an obituary, master’s thesis, copies of a speech, and excerpts of an oral history regarding Effie Robinson, a San Francisco based social worker who was a pioneer for championing minority children in need of adoption, and educational leadership programs for minority youths. A majority of the scrapbook contains clippings regarding her work with MARCH! Adoption program, Junior Leaders Program at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School, and various honors Robinson received because of her work with the community.