The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program was created in 2000 through the work and generosity of the late Julian Robertson, a 1955 graduate of UNC, and his wife, Josie. Inspired by their sons -- one of whom graduated from Duke in 1998, and another from UNC in 2001 – the Robertsons believed that each institution offered a distinctive undergraduate education but that the combination of the two promised a breadth and depth of experience that no single university could match.
This groundbreaking vision for a new type of undergraduate experience, rooted in exploration & collaboration is the foundation of everything we do as a community. To fully actualize this vision, Robertson Scholars receive student privileges at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill, including opportunities to pursue second majors and minors, enroll in courses, and participate in extracurricular leadership opportunities across both campuses. During the academic year and throughout the summer, the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program provides signature programming and collaborative learning experiences designed to invite scholars to get curious, take action, and examine the impact of their choices as leaders.
The Robertson Foundation and family continue to work alongside the Robertson Program staff to make this a one-of-a-kind program. Through their generous support, RSLP is able to offer each scholar eight semesters of full tuition, room and board, and most mandatory fees for Scholars at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. Scholars also have access to generous funding for up to three summer experiences, funding for self-directed learning experiences throughout the academic year, and for two semesters of study abroad.
More About Our Benefactor
Julian H. Robertson, Jr. was the founder of the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tiger Management L.L.C., which he co-founded in 1980. He was an active philanthropist, environmentalist, proprietor of world-class golf resorts, vineyard owner and wine producer. From initial capital of eight million dollars, Mr. Robertson built Tiger into the world’s largest hedge fund with assets of more than $21 billion.
Beyond Tiger’s legendary performance, Mr. Robertson trained and developed a generation of Tiger Cubs, a cadre of analysts and portfolio managers who have fanned out to become today’s most successful hedge fund managers.
Mr. Robertson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1932. He graduated from Episcopal High School in 1951 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1955. He then served as an officer in the U.S. Navy prior to joining Kidder Peabody and Company as a sales trainee in 1957. In 1966, Mr. Robertson became a Vice President and stockholder of Kidder Peabody and was later made a Director. In 1974, he became Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Webster Management Corporation, Kidder Peabody’s investment advisory subsidiary, where he served in that capacity until his departure in 1978.
In 1996, Mr. Robertson founded the Robertson Foundation with his wife Josie. The Foundation focuses on large-scale, high impact grants in three principal areas within the United States: education, environment, and medical research. Among the Foundation’s major initiatives are active support of New York City’s public education reform, efforts to provide disadvantaged children and families with tools to become self-sufficient and productive, and market-based solutions to combat global warming.
Mr. Robertson indulged his “twin passions” for golf and New Zealand in 2000 by creating Kauri Cliffs, a 22-room luxury lodge and golf course on 6,500 acres on New Zealand’s northern coast. Four years later, he opened Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island, built on a 5000-acre sheep farm. Golf magazine ranked both courses among the top 100 in the world. In 2010, Mr. Robertson opened his third New Zealand resort destination, Matakauri Lodge, near Queenstown. Mr. Robertson also owned Dry River, a boutique New Zealand vineyard which produces an internationally-acclaimed pinot noir.
Throughout his life Mr. Robertson served on many boards including the Environmental Defense Fund, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, iMentor and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He served on the Leadership Council of the New York Stem Cell Foundation, was a Trustee Emeritus of Rockefeller University and a Life Trustee of the Wildlife Conservation Society.