Résumé

Officer, US Navy, World War II.

Draftsman, Russell Mills, Architect, Reno, NV, c. 1941.

Draftsman, Basic Magnesium, Incorporated, Las Vegas, NV, 1942. His father also worked for Basic Magnesium in Las Vegas in 1942.

Draftsman, Nettleton and Baldwin, Incorporated, Prefabricators, Seattle, WA, c. 1945. In 1946, Nettleton and Baldwin had a factory at 1109 North 36th Street in Seattle. (See "Prefabricators," Radio and Appliance Journal, 08/1946, p. 23.)

He served in the US Naval Reserve between 02/01/1946 and 04/01/1951. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Select Military Registers, 1862-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 05/24/2022.)

Principal, Jay C. Robinson, Jr., Architect, Pasco, WA, 1947-1951. A newspaper ad from the Tri-Cities Herald indicated that Jay Robinson, Jr., had an office at 421 West Clark Street, Room #7, Pasco. (See Jay Robinson, Jr., architectural advertisement, Tri-City Herald, 08/31/1948, p. 10.) In 1949, he moved his office to 115 South 5th Street in Pasco. (See Jay Robinson, Jr., advertisement, Tri-City Herald, 07/01/1949, p. 8.) By 1955, Robinson had an office located at 422 West Columbia Street, Pasco, WA. (See "Robinson, Jay, Jr.," American Architects Directory, 1956, George S. Koyl, ed., [New York: R.R. Bowker Company, 1955], p. 467.)

Partner, Robinson and [Harry Nash] Roberts, Architects, Pasco, WA, and Kennewick, WA, 1951-1952.

Principal, Jay C. Robinson, Jr., AIA, Architect, Pasco, WA, 1953-1955.

Principal, Jay C. Robinson, Jr., AIA, Architect, Seattle, WA, 1956- .

Professional Activities

Associate Member, American Institute of Architects IAIA), Washington State Chapter, 1948. (See Jay Robinson, Jr., architectural advertisement, Tri-City Herald, 08/31/1948, p. 10.)

Registered Architect in the States of WA and OR, 1948. (See Jay Robinson, Jr., architectural advertisement, Tri-City Herald, 08/31/1948, p. 10.)

Archives

The University of Washington College of Built Environments Visual Resources Collection maintained the “Jay Robinson, Jr., Collection of 35 mm slides and contact sheets," donated in 1982.

Education

B.Arch., University of Washington, Seattle (UW), Seattle, WA, 1941.

Relocation

Born in Newark, NJ, in 1916, Robinson lived for only a short time in that state before his family moved to Nevada, likely by the time of his sister Lorraine's birth in early 1918. In 1920, he, his parents and sister had a house at 216 Minnesota Street in Carson City, NV. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Carson Ward 1, Ormsby, Nevada; Roll: T625_1004; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 33, accessed 05/24/2022.) His father changed jobs frequently, and the family relocated fairly often during Jay, Jr.'s, childhood.

The Robinsons remained in Carson City in 1930, living at 209 West King Street. They owned their own dwelling, worth approximately $2,000, according to the US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Carson City, Ormsby, Nevada; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 2341031, accessed 05/24/2022.) He lived with his parents and sister at 209 West 2nd Street in Carson City, NV, in 1938. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Carson City, Nevada, City Directory, 1938, p. 408.)

As a student at the University of Washington (UW), he made his residence at 5218 16th Avenue NE Seattle, WA on 10/16/1940. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 151, accessed 05/24/2022.)

After World War II, in 1947, Jay and Barbara Robinson moved to Pasco, WA, where they lived until either late 1955 or early 1956.

In 1950, the US Census recorded that he lived at 1632 Indiana Road in Pasco, WA. They had a daughter Susan. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Pasco, Franklin, Washington; Roll: 2824; Sheet Number: 85; Enumeration District: 11-11A, accessed 05/24/2022.)

In 1955, he lived at 1615 West Shoshone Street in Pasco, WA, with his wife and two children.

His wife Barbara died in 02/1956, in Seattle, just after the couple had moved from Pasco. By early 1956, Jay lived at 1532 Blue Ridge Drive in Seattle, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Marriage Records, 1906-1910, 1946-1966, accessed 05/24/2022.)

Jay Robinson, Jr., died at age 63 in King County, WA.

Parents

His father was Jay Charles Robinson, Sr., (born 11/23/1888 in Dubuque, IA-d.), his mother Cecile Mae Faleger (born 08/10/1888 in CA-d. 07/28/1981 in San Mateo County, CA). His parents married in Seattle, WA, on 10/08/1913. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Washington, U.S., County Marriages, 1855-2008 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 05/24/2022.)

Cecile's parents, Joseph A. Faleger (born 12/1837 in Switzerland-d. 03/03/1923 in Thermalito, CA) and Adlena Johanna Bottjer (or "Bottcher," born 06/02/1862 in Butte County, CA-d. 09/12/1912 in Butte County, CA), operated a stock farm in 1900 near Oregon, Butte County, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Oregon, Butte, California; Roll: 84; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0021; FHL microfilm: 1240084, accessed 05/24/2022.) Adlena was 24 years Joseph's junior.

Jay C. Robinson, Sr., held a multitude of jobs during his working life. On 06/05/1917, he worked as a salesman for the Ward Baking Company in Ampere, NJ. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Registration State: New Jersey; Registration County: Essex Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, accessed 05/24/2022.) Three years later, he had a managerial job for the Standard Oil Company in Carson City, NV, as per the 1920 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Carson Ward 1, Ormsby, Nevada; Roll: T625_1004; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 33, accessed 05/24/2022.) The 1930 US Census recorded that he was a railroad purchasing agent in Carson City, and, by 04/27/1942, he resided in Las Vegas, NV, and worked for Basic Magnesium, Incorporated. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War Ii Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the State of Nevada; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 15, accessed 05/24/2022.)

Jay Robinson, Sr.'s, parents were Milford Joseph Robinson (born 02/26/1857 in Dubuque County, IA-d. 04/18/1903 in Chicago, IL), a traveling clothing salesman, and Annie Boulton (born c. 02/1861 in Canada). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 31, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 284; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0965; FHL microfilm: 1240284, accessed 05/24/2022.) Jay, Sr., had a sister, Clara Robinson, (born c. 10/1887 in ND-d. 12/08/1915 in Brooklyn, NY), who died at age 28.

He had a sister Lorraine Robinson (born c. 1918 in NV).

Spouse

Robinson married twice.

He first wed Barbara Nettleton (born c. 1917-d. 02/05/1956 in Seattle, WA) on 07/09/1942 in Seattle, WA. Witnesses were Barbara's sister Martha Nettleton and Thomas R. Adkison (1917-1986), an architect who had a long and productive architectural career in Spokane, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013; Reference Number: kingcoarchmcvol104_359, accessed 05/24/2022.)

Barbara may have attended Queen Anne High School in 1931, where a "Barbara Nettleton" was pictured in its yearbook, but graduated from the Saint Nicholas High School, c. 1934. (See Queen Anne High School Kuay Yearbook, 1931, p. 86,) She obtained an undergraduate degree from the UW in 1938, and also took graduate coursework at the Smith School of Architecture in Cambridge, MA. With her training in architecture, she may have taken an active role in her husband's architectural practice.

Prominent socially while living in Pasco, WA, Barbara's death was front-page news in the Tri-Cities Herald. It reported that she and her husband were avid sailors, preferring sailboats: "A boating enthusiast, Mrs. Robinson and her husband were the first bring a sail boat to the Tri-City area. They sailed here from Portland and their yacht gained considerable attention as it glided along the Columbia." (See "Prominent Tri-Citian Succumbs in Seattle," Tri-City Herald, 02/07/1956, p. 1.) Her obituary also mentioned her memberships in various upper-class clubs: "In Seattle, Mrs. Robinson was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, the Junior League and the Seattle Yacht Club. She was also a member of Church of Christ Scientist." (See "Deaths...Here and Elsewhere, Mrs. Jay C. Robinson, Jr.," Tri-City Herald, 02/07/1956, p. 11.)

Barbara's mother was Emma Hancock Carpenter (born c. 1878-d. 11/04/1947 in Seattle, WA), her father, Walter Birney Nettleton (born 02/11/1878 in Minneapolis, MN-d. 06/30/1969 in Seattle, WA), owner of the Nettleton Lumber Company and later the owner and publisher of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He came to Seattle, c, 1900 from MN, and, by 1901, had become a partner in the Schwager and Nettleton Lumber Company which became the Nettleton Lumber Company.

Emma and Walter had six children, Jane Nettleton LeCoq (born 10/19/1905 in Seattle, WA), Ruth Nettleton (born c. 1906 in Seattle, WA-d. 1927), Mary Nettleton (died early in life, c. 1912), Katherine Nettleton (died early in life c. 1916) and Martha M. Nettleton Gardner (born 07/06/1918 in Seattle, WA-d. 07/18/1994 in Mercer Island, WA). Martha and Jane both lived in Seattle at the time of Barbara's death. (See "Deaths...Here and Elsewhere, Mrs. Jay C. Robinson, Jr.," Tri-City Herald, 02/07/1956, p. 11.)

Following Barbara's death, he married Willifred J. Allard Alven (born 09/16/1916 in Lawton, MI) on 03/02/1957 in Lake Grove, OR. Her parents were Inez Lich (mother) and J.A. Allard (father). At the time of her marriage to Robinson, Willifred was divorced and lived at 555 Hot Springs Drive in Santa Barbara, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Marriage Records, 1906-1910, 1946-1966, accessed 05/24/2022.)

Children

He and Barbara had two children, one of whom was Susan Robinson (born c. 1945 in WA).

Biographical Notes

Robinson was Caucasian, according to his World War II draft registration card, with a light complexion, gray eyes and brown hair at age 24. He stood 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighed 140 pounds. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Washington, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 151, accessed 05/24/2022.)