Always Following a Dream
Bill Robinson, CMU’s revered theatre department chair for nearly three decades (1960-87) dreamed of performing on Broadway. Following his World War II service in Europe, he traded in his army boots for treading the boards. While he landed some off-Broadway work and made important friendships and connections that would last a lifetime, he soon realized that he would be better served going to college on the GI Bill.
So, Robinson went home to Charleston, West Virginia, where he was born in 1923, to study law at Morris Harvey College (now the University of Charleston). Law wasn’t a good fit. As Robinson recounted during a 1989 interview, he had to tell himself, “You know, you’re not fooling anybody but yourself. You really love the theatre and that’s really what you want to do.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in theatre, Robinson tried New York again, but this time he enrolled at New York University, earning another degree in theatre, this time a master’s degree. Leaving his Broadway dreams behind, Robinson moved on the recommendation of an army buddy to Minot, North Dakota, and took a job teaching high school drama.
Robinson planned to stay just one year in North Dakota. But one year turned to seven, and Robinson met and married his wife, Mai Nagatomo, while in Minot. In 1958, the couple moved to Denver so that Robinson could pursue a doctorate in theatre at the University of Denver. Two years into his program, Robinson ran out of tuition money, so he accepted a speech and drama position at Mesa College. Once again, he planned to stay only one year.
Instead, the Robinsons lived in Grand Junction for the remainder of their lives. Mai was an assistant professor of English at Mesa and volunteered as the manager for the college box office. Bill became chair of the theatre department. In this role, he directed, inspired, and mentored students, many of whom also had Broadway dreams. He was a catalyst in the building of a dedicated theatre at Mesa College, which was renamed the Robinson Theatre in his honor in 1993.
Some of what Robinson did was extremely popular with the community; for example, he started the college’s popular Summer Theatre Program in 1971. Some of what he did was controversial, at least with a segment of the population. Notably, a 1978 production of the acclaimed drama “Equus” drew the ire of a group called Grand Junction Right to Decency. College president John Tomlinson backed Robinson up, and the show went on.
Robinson achieved many honors during his lifetime including the Mesa State College Distinguished Faculty Award in 1986, the Museum of Western Colorado Living Resource Award in 1993, and an honorary doctorate in theatre in 2009 from the University of Denver. He and Mai also gave back to CMU, creating a scholarship for aspiring actors.
When Robinson died in 2015, his colleague Maggie Robb expressed her deep gratitude. “There probably would be no theatre department now if it were not for him…He was a wonderful teacher. The students loved him. The faculty loved him…he was such a nurturing person. He had a way of just seeing the potential in people and working to help people fill their potential,” she explained in “The Daily Sentinel.”
Theatre and the arts continue to thrive at CMU with the opening of the Asteria Theatre in 2024. Robinson’s namesake theatre is being renovated, but it will retain his name.
Robinson wrote his own obituary in 2015, ensuring he got the last word on his life. At the beginning he explained that theatre was always in his blood.
“I was stimulated by stories my father told me about working at the old opera house in Charleston; that, and finding my grandfather’s trunk which contained costumes in it from a medicine show he traveled the country with, even reaching Cripple Creek, Colorado.”
He concluded his obituary with a quote from the musical “Finian’s Rainbow”: “Look to the rainbow and follow the fellow who follows a dream.”
Performer, teacher, inspiration, mentor, artist, and dreamer, that was Mesa College’s Bill Robinson.
A Story 100 Years in the Making
Want to learn more about CMU's history? Purchase Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit, written by Amber J. D'Ambrosio and Kristen Lummis. The 192-page book chronicles CMU's 100-year journey of growth, resilience, and community impact, celebrating the people and moments that shaped our Maverick history.
CMU's Century Project honors one hundred years of Colorado Mesa University's rich history - celebrating the people, milestones and spirit that have shaped our enduring legacy. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, proceeds from the commemorative Century Book and events throughout the year will benefit the Century Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of CMU students can continue to grow, learn and carry the CMU legacy forward.