By Mary A. Sego
Title: Clarence H. Robertson papers, 1901-1960
Primary Creator: Robertson, Clarence H. (1871-1960)
Extent: 7.0 Folders. More info below.
Arrangement: Chronological
Subjects: Purdue University--Alumni and alumnae, Purdue University--Faculty, Purdue University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Technology
Forms of Material: Articles, Broadsides (notices)
Languages: English
Clarence Hovey Robertson was born November 4, 1871, at Scanton, Iowa. He entered the Agricultural College in South Dakota in 1890. Up to this time his college preparations (in district and high school) had been interspersed with farming, carpentering, and flour-milling. During his junior and senior years he acted as an assistant in chemistry and physics, graduating president of the class of 1893, in August of that year.
The November following graduation Mr. Robertson began studying mechanical engineering at Purdue. Robertson was captain of the 1895 Purdue football, basketball and track squads and in 1895 held the Indiana state title for the hammer throw. As captain of the track team and of the football team, he secured the presidency of the Athletic Association, and presidency of the class of 1895 during his senior year. He obtained a degree in mechanical engineering in 1895 and his master's degree in 1897. In 1926 he received an honorary doctor of science degree. Upon graduating from Purdue, Robertson was an assistant in the Department of Experimental Engineering.
From 1895 to 1902, he was a teacher in the Mmechanical Engineering Department at Purdue. Robertson resigned to go to China as a missionary. "Big Robbie," as he was know to his myriad of friends in the fields of education and sports, spent 30 years as director of education for the YMCA in China where he taught millions of persons to read and write with audiovisual aids far in advance of his day. Destined to become a widely recognized Christian leader of national and international fame, Robertson was a beloved figure in this country and China. On his lecture tours in the Orient he addressed as many as a quarter of a million persons within a few days.
He returned to America in the early 1930's and devoted his main attention to his three hobbies, people, inventions, and golf. He patented scores of his devices. His own automobile had 64 Robertson-developed gadgets. He is credited with building and using one of the first golf caddy carts.
He returned to Purdue University in 1943 as a physics professor.
During his later years, as a teacher after 70, he gave many lectures on his life time observations and philosophy, with attendance from students and faculty ranks running in the hundreds. In 1947, at the age of 75, he received the Sigma Delta Chi award as the "best teacher" on the Purdue campus. One of his more ambitious studies was the subject of academic failures in colleges and universities.
He was a member of Central Presbyterian church; Tau Beta Pi, honorary engineering fraternity; and Sigma Xi, honorary scientific fraternity.
He died May 11, 1960 in Anderson, at the home of his son, Robert C. Robertson. He was also survived by a second son, D. Ross Robertson, a daughter, Mrs. Arthur B. Van Huss, and an adopted daughter, Mrs. Areva Hadley. His wife, the former Edith M. Christianson, died in 1953.
Purdue University--Alumni and alumnae
Purdue University--Faculty
Purdue University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Technology
Repository: Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections
Alternate Extent Statement: 7 folders
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation: MSF 327, Clarence H. Robertson papers, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries
Efficiency Tests of a One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Five-Horse-Power Gas Engine, Robertson, C.H. 1901, [no other publication information is available, 2 copies]
Tests of a Twelve-Horse-Power Gas Engine to Determine the Effects of Change in Speed, Load, Point of Ignition, Ratio of Gas to Air, and Jacket Temperature, Robertson, C.H. 1903 [no other publication information is available.]
to Helen Schroyer, Archives & Special Collections
from Roberts, Ryder, & Roberts
The Lecture Department of the National Committee of Young Men's Christian Associations of China, Robertson, C.H., April 1914. [2 copies]
The Gyroscope in China: an interesting Y. M. C. A. lecture that always fills the house, Robertson, C.H. Reprinted from Scientific American, January 24, 1914.
10,000 Miles of Radio in China, Robertson, C.H. Chinese Students' Monthly, vol. XIX, no. 1, November, 1923, pp. 24-28.
Purdue Students Back Work of C.H. Robertson: canvas to be made of students during registration.--Faculty will be given chance to subscribe later in month.--Faculty approves of plan for raising money, 1925, source unknown.
Science and Religion: a statement published first in Chinese at the request of students in Shanghai, Robertson, C.H. [Publication information not available.]
Suggestions for Inventor Education Training, Forum on Invention, Purdue University, Bulletin No. 2 - October 24, 1934.
Summary of address by C.H. Robertson on Personal Memories of Some Great Inventors, Invention Forum, Purdue University, Bulletin no. 8, February 27, 1935.
Announcement data concerning Clarence Hovey Robertson
The Gyroscope in China: an interesting Y. M. C. A. lecture that always fills the house, Robertson, C. H. Reprinted from Scientific American, January 24, 1914, pp. 84-85, 90.
Science and Religion: a statement published first in Chinese at the request of students in Shanghai, Robertson, C. H. [no publication information available]
Paper featuring numerous articles about C. H. Robertson's work in China, including article, "Purdue Students Back Work of C. H. Robertson", dated 1925 [no other publication information is available]
A Psychological Venture in Memorizing Chinese, Robertson, C. H. Reprinted from The Chinese Recorder, January, 1925.
Clarence Hovey Robertson, biography by Henry Clay Ryder
Among Young Men In The Middle Kingdom, A Report Of The Work Of The Young Men's Christian Association Of China And Korea. Shanghai, China: General Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association of China and Korea, 1911.
The Gyroscope And Its Uses, Science Lectures of The General Committee Of The Young Men's Christian Association of China and Korea, May 8, 1912.
Esterline, J.W. (1926). The Work Of C.H. Robertson: Some New Inventions and Discoveries in the Art of Informing, Inspiring and Transforming Men. Privately printed, 1926.
"Purdue Students Back Work of C.H. Robertson," "China Educational Pioneer," with photograph of C.H. Robertson [publication information not available, contains 2 pages dealing with Robertson's work in China, circa 1927]
"The Purdue In China Club And Big Robbie," circa 1945 [explains requirements for membership in China Club, some of the accomplishments of Robertson and quotes from others regarding his work]
"East Meets West With "Big Robbie," "C.H. Robertson Carries Message of Religion and Western Culture to China," by Mary Margaret Kern. The Sunday Star, Sunday Morning, January 20, 1929, Magazine Section, p. 1, c. 1-4.
"Purdue's "Big Robbie," "This 77-year-old professor has made a hobby of people, golf and inventions like the golfmobile," by James T. Richardson. The Indianapolis Star Magazine, p. 8, circa 1948.
"'Big Robbie' Robertson, 89, Dies at Anderson, Educator, Athlete, Inventor," Journal and Courier, May 11, 1960, p. 12 [obituary]
