Mailing address for the Hall of Fame is 4 N. Pleasant St., Princeton, IL 61356. The phone
number is (815) 879-3263. Fax is (815) 879-8052. Its web site address is www.ILHSAthleticFame.org. October 31, 2000
PRINCETON – The Illinois High School Athletic Hall of Fame announced
Tuesday (Oct. 31) that Donald K. Robinson will become its Executive Director effective
Dec. 1, 2000.Robinson, former Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Associate Executive Director, retired from the IHSA staff in July of 1999. Since then he has been a sales director for Royal Publishing Company in Peoria.
The Hall of Fame is to be constructed in Princeton on land overlooking Interstate 80.
As its Executive Director, Robinson will be responsible for fund raising, construction and
operation of the state of the art interactive facility. The Hall of Fame has been endorsed
by the IHSA Board of Directors. In addition, the Illinois Coaches Association, the
Illinois Football Coaches Association and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association are
supporting the development of the Hall of Fame. All of these organizations will have a
presence in the new facility.
Mailing address for the Hall of Fame is 4 N. Pleasant St., Princeton, IL 61356. The phone
number is (815) 879-3263. Fax is (815) 879-8052. Its web site address is www.ILHSAthleticFame.org.
Members of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors include: President Frank Rathje; Vice President Jack Scott; Secretary Sam Fisher; Treasurer Tony Sorcic; and Legal Counsel John Isaacson.
A native of Warsaw, IL, Robinson joined the IHSA administrative staff as an assistant executive secretary August 15, 1978, and in July, 1991 he was named associate executive director. During his tenure in the IHSA Office he was in charge of football, basketball, and track and field, and was a rules interpreter in football and basketball.
Robinson's career in education included nine years as a teacher-coach. From 1963 to 1965, he was head football and wrestling coach, and assisted in track at Savanna. From 1965 to 1970, he was head football coach and assisted in track and golf at Ottawa (Marquette). For the next two years he was head football coach at Bradley-Bourbonnais. In 1972, Robinson became assistant director of student affairs at Bradley-Bourbonnais. He was named the school's director of student affairs in 1975.
He earned his bachelor's degree in education from Western Illinois University in 1963 and his master's in physical education from the University of Iowa in 1969. Immediately after graduating from Warsaw High School in 1956, he served until 1959 in the U.S. Army and was an instructor in computer electronics at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Robinson was a Certified official in boys basketball and wrestling and also officiated football, track and baseball before he retired to Honorary status in the Officials Department in 1979. He first registered with the IHSA in 1961 and served as president and secretary of the Tri-Valley Officials Association.
Don was a member of the National Federation Football Rules Committee from 1979 until his retirement, and served on the National Federation Wrestling Rules Committee from 1988 to 1994. He was named chairman of the National Federation Wrestling Committee in 1990.
He was a member of the board of control of the South Inter-Conference Association (SICA) from 1976-78, and served as SICA treasurer.