Joe Robbie | |
|---|---|
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| President | Co-founder and former owner of theMiami Dolphins (1967–1969) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1916-07-07)July 7, 1916 Sisseton, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 1990(1990-01-07) (aged 73) Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
| Resting place | Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery (North Lauderdale, Florida) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Robbie (1942–1990) |
| Children | 11 |
| Education | Northern State University University of South Dakota (BA,LLB) |
| Alma mater | University of South Dakota |
| Occupation | Lawyer, sports executive |
Joseph Robbie (July 7, 1916 – January 7, 1990) was an American attorney, politician, and the principal founder of theMiami Dolphins.
Robbie was raised inSisseton, South Dakota, the second of five children. His father was aLebanese immigrant and restaurant manager and his mother was abaker and the daughter ofIrish immigrants.[1] He was raisedCatholic.[2]
At 14 years old, Robbie was thesportswriter for his local newspaper,The People's Press.[3] In 1934, during theGreat Depression, Robbie dropped out of high school to work as alumberjack for theCivilian Conservation Corps in theBlack Hills, sending $25 of his $30 monthly earnings home to his family. After completing his high school education in 1936, Robbie enrolled atNorthern State Teachers College on a debating scholarship.[1] After three years, he transferred to theUniversity of South Dakota.[2] Robbie met his future wife, Elizabeth, while he was a senior at the school and she was a freshman. The couple were married two years later.[1]
Robbie enlisted in theNavy on the day after the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor. Robbie saw substantial action in thePacific theater and was awarded aBronze Star for his service. After his discharge, he used theG.I. Bill to return toUniversity of South Dakota School of Law as a law student.[1]
Following his graduation from law school, Robbie worked as adeputy state's attorney and a professor ofeconomics atDakota Wesleyan University.[4] In 1948, at 33 years old, Robbie entered politics. He was elected to theSouth Dakota House of Representatives as aDemocrat.[1] In 1950, he ran forGovernor of South Dakota but lost toSigurd Anderson.[2] The following year, Robbie and his family moved toMinneapolis at the encouragement of then-mayorHubert H. Humphrey.[1]
His political and business careers further developed in Minnesota. In addition to operating his own law firm, Robbie served as regional counsel for theOffice of Price Stabilization in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.[5] He was also a charter member of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Commission and chairman of the Minnesota Municipal Commission.[6] In addition to working on Humphrey's political campaigns, Robbie representedMinnesota's 5th congressional district at the1960 Democratic National Convention.[2][7]
Robbie also worked as alobbyist for thetobacco industry from the 1960s until his death. In 1963, he appeared before theUnited States Senate to voice opposition to a bill which would have regulatedtobacco advertising.[8] From 1971 until 1989, he was the head of the Minnesota Candy & Tobacco Distributors Association.[9]
After moving to Minneapolis, Joe Robbie took an interest inprofessional football and became a season ticket holder for theMinnesota Vikings.[10]
In March 1965, Robbie met withAmerican Football League (AFL) CommissionerJoe Foss inWashington, D.C.. At the meeting, Foss recommended that Robbie look intoMiami as a potential site for anexpansion franchise. Robbie formed a partnership with comedianDanny Thomas, a fellowLebanese-American, and raised the $7.5 million required to purchase an expansion team.[1]
The Dolphins' stadium was officially calledJoe Robbie Stadium from its opening in 1987 until 1996. It has undergone a series ofname changes since, and it is currently known asHard Rock Stadium.[11]
In addition to his work in football, Robbie briefly appeared as himself in the 1977 thrillerBlack Sunday, where he was interviewed about security measures forSuper Bowl X (1976), which was held at theOrange Bowl in Miami.[12]
Robbie was also involved in professionalsoccer, owning both theMiami Toros, which rebranded in 1977 as theFort Lauderdale Strikers.[13] Both of teams that competed in theNorth American Soccer League (NASL). During the early 1980s, the Strikers were temporarily relocated toMinnesota and played as theMinnesota Strikers.[14] TheStrikers later returned toFlorida and resumed operations inFort Lauderdale, eventually competing in theAmerican Professional Soccer League (APSL).
Joe Robbie Stadium was one of the first major sports venues in the United States designed with soccer in mind and was also engineered to be easily reconfigured for baseball.[15]
Believing in Miami's growth as a major sports market, Robbie predicted the city would eventually secure aMajor League Baseballfranchise.[16] His prediction was realized in 1990—just two months after his death—when Miami was awarded theFlorida Marlins (now theMiami Marlins).[17]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harold Volz | Democratic nominee forGovernor of South Dakota 1950 | Succeeded by Sherman Iverson |
| Business positions | ||
| First | Principal Owner of theMiami Dolphins 1966–1990 | Succeeded by |