Robinson, William Dodd, 1911-1988.

Professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan; head of the Rackham Arthritis Research Unit (RARU) at the university.

William Dodd Robinson (1911-1988) received his A.B. degree from Albion College (Albion, MI) and his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan, cum laude, in 1934. He continued at the University of Michigan for his graduate training as an instructor in medicine (1936-1938) and as a research fellow in medicine (1938-1940). He then worked with the Rockefeller Foundation in the International Health Division at the following locations: as a Special Fellow Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) where he worked on the TVA Konnarock Project; as a member of the Health Commission to Europe supervising a nutrition survey in Madrid, Spain (1941); and as a staff member serving in Mexico (1941-1943) where he was in charge of developing a nutrition section in the Mexican Federal Department of Health. Upon leaving the Rockefeller Foundation in 1943 he went to Vanderbilt University, where he was an instructor in medicine and in charge of the Investigative Section of the Tennessee-Vanderbilt Nutrition Project until 1944.

Robinson returned to the University of Michigan in 1944 as an assistant professor of internal medicine. In 1946 he became an associate professor and in 1952 was made a full professor. In 1958 Robinson was appointed chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, a post he held until 1975.

During his time at the University of Michigan, Robinson served in many capacities. One of the most noted was his work with the Rackham Arthritis Research Unit (RARU) of which he was head from 1944 to 1953. He continued as a consultant to the RARU until his retirement in 1979. Robinson also held many University of Michigan Medical School and Hospital committee positions, such as the chairmanship of the Policy and Executive Committee of the Senior Medical Staff, Executive Committee of the Medical School. In addition, Robinson held many committee and board positions of professional societies which are detailed on the curriculum vitae in this collection.