William Albert Robinson (13 August 1902 – 16 January 1988) was an American sailor and author of travel books who founded the Malardé Institute in French Polynesia. He is the father of French Polynesian dancer and choreographer Tumata Robinson.
Robinson was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was an only child raised by his mother, Ella Huegin. After graduating from polytechnic studies, he took a job in a textile factory in New York City.
Between 1928 and 1931 he circumnavigated the world on the small yacht Svaap. Later, on the same ship, he sailed to the Galápagos Islands to shoot a nature film there, but suffered a perforated appendix on the spot. While recuperating, he lost his yacht to Ecuador. He settled in Tahiti in the Ofaipapa valley. He later moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts, where he ran a small shipyard building fishing vessels.
Congressional Record
Loading recent votes…
