Statement by - THE EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES UPON THE DEATH OF JOHN E. ROBSON, PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN
John E. Robson, president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, died today, March 20, 2002, after a six-month battle with cancer. Appointed by President George W. Bush and sworn in by the United States Senate, Robson served as the head of the Ex-Im Bank since May 2001. Under his leadership, the Bank has played an integral role in the Bush Administration's trade and foreign policy agenda.
During his long and dedicated career, Robson, who was 71, served with distinction in the private sector, in government and in academia. His government service included appointments by President George H. W. Bush as Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, by President Gerald R. Ford as chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board where he initiated airline deregulation, and by President Lyndon B. Johnson as Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Before joining Ex-Im Bank, Robson was an investment banker and senior advisor with the San Francisco, California based firm of Robertson Stephens. He served as president and chief executive officer of G.D. Searle & Co., a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical and consumer products company, among other positions, from 1978 to 1985. He also was dean and professor of management at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and practiced corporate law as a partner in the firm of Sidley and Austin.
Over the years, Robson served on a number of corporate boards including Pharmacia Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, ProLogis Trust, Continental Airlines, Chiron Corporation and Rand McNally Company. He was also a trustee of several educational organizations including St. John's College of Annapolis and Santa Fe and the University of California, San Francisco Foundation.
Robson was raised in Chicago. He graduated from Yale University (B.A) and the Harvard University Law School (J.D.). He was an avid fly fisherman and tennis player. In 2000, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with his son.
His wife Margaret and his son Douglas survive him. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, 633 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017.