Joe Robbie

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Joe Robbie
Personal details
Born(1916-07-07)July 7, 1916
Sisseton, South Dakota, U.S.
DiedJanuary 7, 1990(1990-01-07) (aged 73)
Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseElizabeth (1942–1990)
Children11
EducationNorthern State University
University of South Dakota (BA, LLB)

Joseph Robbie (July 7, 1916 – January 7, 1990) was an American attorney, politician, and the principal founder of the Miami Dolphins.

Early life

Robbie was raised in

Catholic.[2]

At 14 years old, Robbie was the

sportswriter for his local newspaper, The People's Press.[3] In 1934, during the Great Depression, Robbie dropped out of high school to work as a lumberjack for the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Black Hills, sending $25 of his $30 monthly earnings home to his family. After completing his high school education in 1936, Robbie enrolled at Northern State Teachers College on a debating scholarship.[1] After three years, he transferred to the University of South Dakota.[2] Robbie met his future wife, Elizabeth, while he was a senior at the school and she was a freshman. The couple were married two years later.[1]

Robbie enlisted in the

Bronze Star for his service. After his discharge, he used the G.I. Bill to return to University of South Dakota School of Law as a law student.[1]

Politics

Following his graduation from law school, Robbie worked as a

Hubert H. Humphrey.[1]

His political and business careers further developed in Minnesota. In addition to operating his own law firm, Robbie served as regional counsel for the

Office of Price Stabilization in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.[5] He was also a charter member of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Commission and chairman of the Minnesota Municipal Commission.[6] In addition to working on Humphrey's political campaigns, Robbie represented Minnesota's 5th congressional district at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.[2][7]

Robbie also worked as a

tobacco advertising.[8] From 1971 until 1989, he was the head of the Minnesota Candy & Tobacco Distributors Association.[9]

Professional sports

After moving to Minneapolis, Robbie took an interest in

professional football and became a Minnesota Vikings season ticket holder.[10]

In March 1965, Joe Foss, the commissioner of the American Football League, met with Robbie in Washington, D.C. Foss had attended the University of South Dakota, later serving in the Marine Corps and being awarded the Medal of Honor.

At the meeting, Foss recommended that Robbie look into

Lebanese-American, and raised the $7.5 million required to purchase an expansion team.[1]

The Dolphins' stadium was officially called Joe Robbie Stadium from its opening in 1987 until 1996. It has undergone a series of name changes since, and it is currently known as Hard Rock Stadium.

Robbie had a small part playing himself in the film Black Sunday, in which he is interviewed about security for Super Bowl X (1976).[11]

Robbie also owned the

soccer teams of the North American Soccer League
. Joe Robbie Stadium was one of the first major stadiums in the U.S. designed with soccer in mind., and was also designed to be easily reconfigured for baseball.

Robbie also believed that given Miami's rapid growth, it was a foregone conclusion that Miami would have a Major League Baseball team: this was proven correct when the city was granted a franchise, the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins), in 1990, two months after Robbie's death.

Honors and awards

For his contributions to the Miami Dolphins, and being the founder of the team, Joe Robbie became the inaugural inductee on the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll on September 16, 1990 (eight months after his death).

References

  1. ^
    Sun-Sentinel
    . Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  2. ^
    Sun-Sentinel
    . Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  3. ^ Rosenberg, Michael (November 23, 2015). "The Super Bowl that tore the Robbie family apart". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  4. ^ "Joseph Robbie, Jr., Will Address Carroll Students". Independent Record. May 11, 1952. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  5. ^ "Grocery Price Test in Fargo Held Success". Austin Daily Herald. February 11, 1952. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  6. ^ Millman, Joel (December 1986). "Miami Blitz". Mother Jones. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  7. ^ "Minnesota Delegation to the 1960 Democratic National Convention". PoliticalGraveyard.com. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  8. ^ "Cigarette Ad Ban Bill Favored". Albert Lea Tribune. April 11, 1963. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "The Joseph Robbie Page". Smokers History. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  10. Palm Beach Post
    . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  11. ^ Movieclips (May 2, 2012). "Black Sunday (5/8) Movie CLIP - What Exactly Is This Super Bowl? (1977) HD". Retrieved January 3, 2017 – via YouTube.

Further reading

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by
Harold Volz
 Democratic nominee for Governor of South Dakota
1950 		Succeeded by
Sherman Iverson
Business positions
First Principal Owner of the Miami Dolphins
1966–1990 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joe_Robbie&oldid=1216138004"