Evelyn C. Robertson Jr.
Born November 19, 1941 in Winchester, TN.
Native of Whiteville, TN., Former Hardeman County Educator, Teacher, Principal and Coach, Former Superintendent of the Nat T. Winston Developmental Center, Former Superintendent of Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, TN, Former TN Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Former Vice-President of Behavioral Health, West TN Healthcare Inc.in Jackson, TN and Former Executive Director of the Southwest Tennessee Development District in Jackson, TN. Retired in August, 2007.
Graduate of Allen-White High School – 1959
Graduate of Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. BS, MA -1962 & 1969, respectively
Certificate Awarded Harvard University, 1991, Mental Health Leadership
Life Member of the NAACP
Life Member of the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association
Life Member of the National Education Association
Life Member of the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine –Member of-Al- Uzza Shrine Temple #169, Somerville, TN
Member of King Solomon Consistory #132
33rd. Degree Mason
Grand Trustee – The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge – Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of Tennessee.
Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Member of 100 Black Men of West Tennessee
Listed in Who’s Who among Black Americans and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest
Recipient of the 2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who
Former Hardeman County Commissioner (1982 – 1995)
Former President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, 1994-1995.
Listed in the Gallery of Legends of the Jackson TN Madison County NAACP, 2018
Recipient of the North Star Award presented by the Hardeman County Commission for Black History.
Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from TNCO (Tennessee Community Organizations) 2018
Chair of the Deacon Board of the Elcanaan Baptist Church in Whiteville, TN
Chair- Whiteville Rural Rental Housing Authority Board
Appointed Member of the West TN Mega-Site Authority Board of Directors in November 2021/Ford Blue Oval City Project, Stanton, TN.
Recipient of Numerous other Awards, including the” Living Legend “Award presented by the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Whiteville, TN in 2017.
Married to Hugholene Ellison Robertson, Father of two, Jeffrey & Sheila - On October 13,,2023 will celebrated 60 Years of marriage.
Two Grand Children, Malik & Jasmine
Co-Author, Grains of Sand, a History of Western Mental Health Institute, 1886-1986
Author, Education and the American Dream, the Allen-White School Story, 1905-1970
Author, The Robertson Family: Portrait of a Post-Civil War African-American Family, Challenges and Vision 1860’s – Present.
Owner of a Century Farm in Whiteville, TN, The Robertson Family Farm, purchased in 1888. Century Farm Certificate of Honor awarded by Center for Historic Preservation of MTSU in 2004. Robertson Farm Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, November 2007.
Special Interests include: Spectator Sports, Listening to Jazz Music, Traveling, and Historic Preservation.
Travels – In 2007 spent 8 days in South Africa, visiting Johannesburg and Cape Town, Visited the home of Bishop Desmond TuTu and Robben Island, the Prison where Former South African President Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.