Description
The Reed Robbins Collection consists of approximately 10 linear feet of
correspondence, maps, photographs, books, pamphlets, notes, and reports,
pertaining chiefly to California (and especially to San Joaquin County) real
estate and politics (1947-1987).
Background
Reed Robbins [1925-], Stockton realtor, is descended from the Fanning
family, Stockton residents since the city was founded (1848). His father,
Curtis M. Robbins, was also realtor. Robbins attended the University of
California, graduating with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1945. He took
graduate work in Business Administration and Real Estate at the University of
Wisconsin. In 1947, Robbins entered the real estate business. His company
handled residential properties until 1981. From that date, Robbins became
affiliated with First Dominion Financial Services, Inc. and specialized in
"real estate-limited partnerships in high quality commercial income property."
Active in various professional realty organizations, he was elected president
of the Stockton Realty Board (1958) and the California Real Estate Association
(1967). He was a member of various committees of the National Association of
Real Estate Boards. As a member of the International Real Estate Federation,
Robbins was a featured speaker at the Association's 1966 convention in Tokyo.
Reed Robbins was also active in community affairs. During the 1950s, Robbins
was a member of the Board of Directors of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce. He
served from 1959 to 1969 on the President of the University of California's
Real Estate Advisory Committee. From 1962, he was a member of Build America
Better, an urban renewal advisory organization, which sent him, in 1965, as
part of a four member team to advise the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Robbins
was chosen "Mr. Stockton 1964" for "outstanding contributions toward the
betterment of our city." He was a prominent figure in various controversies
surrounding the use of downtown Stockton buildings. In 1978, for instance,
Robbins opposed the erection of a new Courthouse Annex, advocating instead the
renovation of existing unoccupied structures. In 1983, Robbins was chairman of
the San Joaquin County Grand Jury that oversaw the rewriting of the rules under
which the Grand Jury operates. Subsequently, he was appointed by President
Reagan to the national Solar Energy Advisory Committee. As a spokesman for
state realtor groups, Robbins campaigned against the California Open Housing
Initiative (Prop. 14) in 1964. Since that time, he has been an active fund
raiser and propagandist for various conservative causes and candidates,
including Barry Goldwater, the Jarvis-Gann initiative (Prop. 13) and Ronald
Reagan, on whose behalf Robbins helped form Realtors in Support of the
Administration. Reed Robbins was President of the Stockton Rotary Club from
1976 through 1977. He was also a member of the Masons, the Shriners, the
Yosemite Club, the American Legion and the Stockton Symphony Association.