Mississippi College Family Salutes Joe and Alice Robison Jr. at the Golden Dome

Alice & Joe Robison, Jr. are pictured with MC Athletic Director Mike Jones at the A.E. Wood Coliseum December 1.The men's basketball dressing room at the Golden Dome was named in honor of the Hattiesburg couple Thursday night.

A successful businessman, faithful Mississippi College graduate, and notable philanthropist, Joe Robison Jr. always goes the extra mile to help others.

For many years, it’s especially true as far as MC athletics and the university’s School of Business is concerned.

On December 1, members of the Mississippi College family expressed their thanks by naming the MC men’s locker room at the A.E. Wood Coliseum in honor of Joe and his wife, Alice Robison. Big supporters of all things Blue & Gold for decades, the Hattiesburg couple has been married for 50 years.

During a half-time break at Thursday night’s MC basketball games with Gulf South Conference rival Delta State, Athletic Director Mike Jones summed up what the Mississippians have meant to the university’s sports teams.

“We are very appreciative of such a long and loyal relationship between Joe and Alice Robison and MC athletics,” Jones said. “They have been a driving force behind our fund-raising.”

The retired CEO and president of the Robison Tire Company, Joe says giving back is something that God wants him to do. He says when he helps others, God blesses him back many times over.

The 1966 Mississippi College graduate devotes even more time to good causes since retiring a few years ago from the tire company his father founded in Laurel in 1945.

Joe Robison Jr. supports the St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Nation of Coaches, Mississippi State University, and Jones County Junior College in addition to Mississippi College.

The Forrest County resident has served on the MC Foundation Board since 2005. On the panel, Joe provides valuable insights from the business world as the Baptist-affiliated university considers important matters on finances and investments.

As MC celebrates its 190^th university, President Lee Royce and his wife, Rhoda, joined the salute to the Robisons before a big crowd on hand for hoops action at the Golden Dome.

Robison and MC Athletics Director Jones are frequent fliers. Together, they’ve attended more than 30 NCAA men’s basketball championships in cities like New York, San Antonio, Detroit, Indianapolis and Atlanta, to name a few. The two friends will travel to the 2017 NCAA Final 4 in Glendale, Arizona at the huge University of Phoenix Stadium. It will close out the hoops tournament known as March Madness.

Joe and Alice Robison boost MC programs on and off the court. In recent years, the couple reached out to the MC School of Business by establishing Robison Family scholarships to help students receive an education.

MC leaders recognized Joe Robison’s deep commitment to serve the university and benefit others by naming him the co-recipient of the Order of the Golden Arrow Award. The honor came at the 2016 Homecoming dinner on the Clinton campus in October. At the time, school supporters said the tribute to Robison was well-deserved.