Former field hockey, basketball and lacrosse player Ann McKernan Robinson, with her husband Armand Robinson, recently donated $2 million to the university, with $1.1 million going to the field hockey program. Temple’s Boyer College of Music and Dance received $900,000. The $1.1 million gift was the largest single gift ever received by Temple Athletics. Robinson graduated in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education.
Later, she taught and coached field hockey at Penn and Chestnut Hill College.Robinson spoke with The Temple News last week about her decision to donate to the both the field hockey program and to Boyer College.
The Temple News: What prompted you to donate to the field hockey team?
Ann McKernan Robinson: As a young person, field hockey was my first love. I was thrilled to play. I started thinking about how I could help.
TTN: What do you think about the team? They are picked to win the Atlantic Ten Conference this year.
AMR: It just shows how far they’ve come. [Coach] Amanda Janney has done a very nice job. I watched the Penn game [a 4-2 win] the other day and we are really a good team.
TTN: Are you still connected with the team?
AMR: Not connected, but I am becoming more and more reconnected.
TTN: You graduated from the College of Education at Temple. What made you want to donate to the music school?
AMR: The opera program . . . it’s a great passion of mine as an adult. My husband and I are fans. We became aware when we came up to the Acres of Diamonds luncheon. We were so impressed with the level of skill of all of these young singers.
Melissa DiPento can be reached at mdipento@temple.edu
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