Donna Robertson, 1942 - 2025

In an oral history conducted in 2023, Donna Robertson, Director of Donor Relations, Emerita, in the Stanford University Office of Development, describes growing up in Southern California, meeting Channing Robertson in high school, and their path to Stanford. She speaks about building a home on campus when Channing joined the faculty and explains her journey with the Development Office, which began with her offering to create name tags and led to her position as Director of Donor Relations. She outlines the logistics of putting on approximately 150 events per year, recalls her favorite event in Frost Amphitheater, and describes how much she enjoyed working with her staff team, the fundraisers, and individual donors. She describes working closely with three Stanford presidents, shares several anecdotes, including the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Stanford, and fondly recalls some the special cards and gifts that she has had made for major Stanford donors.

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