Stanley Robinson retired in 1991 after 43 years as an engineer and manager in food and drug companies, the last 30 years with Johnson and Johnson. As international vice president, he oversaw the International Export Division providing over-the-counter health care products and pharmaceuticals all over the world, making these vital products available to hospitals, outpatient clinics and kiosks in countries with primitive conditions.

At Johnson and Johnson, Robinson also supervised the provision of management systems, processing methods and equipment, formulations and material development to developed European countries as well as underdeveloped nations in Asia and Africa. He and his staff introduced training, conferences and lectures around the world with the goal of increasing productivity. Robinson also was elected chairman of the Engineering Council of Johnson and Johnson.

Growing up poor in Saco, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, Robinson worked at a variety of jobs from the age of 12. He entered Thornton and encountered a faculty that taught him discipline and provided strong role models. After his graduation in 1941, he matriculated at Syracuse University, but left school to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Returning to Syracuse after the war, he earned a BS in engineering, followed by a Master of Engineering and Ph.D. in management and psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also served as an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Management at Rensselaer. He is the author of three books: Harnessing Technology, Automated Inspection and Quality Control, and the Underside of Management.

While Robinson's professional career has taken him far beyond his modest upbringing in Saco to more than 60 countries around the globe, he has remained true to the goals, values and thirst for knowledge he developed during his days at Thornton Academy. He often returns to the old adage once shared by former TA coach George Martin to overcome challenges: "Whether in sports or life in general, you make your own luck."

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