Education has been our life focus. And it’s important to give back.

William “Bill” Robelee “wanted to go to college”—but when he applied for admission to Albany State College for Teachers in the early 1960s, “they turned me down,” he recalls with a wry smile. However, Robelee, who grew up in Gloversville, New York, was determined. “In my neighborhood, the majority of the kids were the first in their families to go to college. The state university system had no tuition; you got a job and worked to pay room and board.”

The College was the closest institution of higher learning to Robelee’s hometown; and although he hadn’t made up his mind to enter the teaching profession, he realized that a college education would benefit him no matter which career path he chose. Back then, he notes, “it was go to school, get a degree, get a job.” After insisting to his guidance counselor that he wanted to attend Albany State, Robelee re-took the entrance exam—and was admitted.

After receiving his bachelor’s in social studies in 1964, Robelee worked hard and continued his schooling. He taught social studies and later became an administrator, a school psychologist, and director of Marist College’s School Psychology Program as well as an instructor at the college. Along the way, Robelee returned to UAlbany to earn three more degrees—including a doctorate and a certificate of advanced study.

In the decades since his arrival on campus, Robelee has become a loyal supporter of the University and its student-athletes. So has his wife Margaret, a SUNY Cortland graduate who cites several reasons for their involvement with UAlbany. “I support the University because it’s important to Bill,” says Margaret Robelee, who retired in 2017 from Hyde Park Central School District’s North Park Elementary School where she taught physical education for more than 33 years. “We’ve met so many people, and we’ve become fans of the sports and athletic programs.”

The Saugerties, New York, residents are proud to contribute to the University. Through the School of Education’s Department of School Psychology, they’ve established the Margaret and Bill Robelee Scholarship to provide support to a full-time student who plans a career in school psychology. In 2018 Bill made a commitment to a $25,000 estate gift to the scholarship fund. As a school psychologist for the Hyde Park Central School District, he recognizes that professionals in that field have “so many opportunities to help students, to meet the kids who have the greatest challenges. While it’s difficult to be successful with everybody, you have a chance to do that.”

In addition, the Robelees, season ticket-holders for UAlbany’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, contribute to the Great Dane Athletic Fund. Their donation goes to the Athletics Academic Support Center specifically for summer-school initiatives and/or tutoring.

Looking back at his long affiliation with the University, Bill has many fond memories as student, alum, and donor. He remembers: “This campus was the former Albany Country Club. I was a sophomore when they announced they were buying the golf course to build the uptown campus.”

Robelee likewise recalls some of the faculty for their “approaches [to teaching].” All of them “impressed me as very knowledgeable.”

He’s also impressed by the University’s Foundation staff he’s met more recently as well as the Alumni Association and School of Education staff. “The Foundation staff does an excellent job of continuing the relationship. You don’t just drop off a check,” observes Bill, who helped plan the Class of 1964’s 50th reunion and will work on the 55th this year. “It’s a rewarding experience.”

“Education has been our life focus,” says Margaret, who remains involved with teaching for SUNY Cortland’s Department of Physical Education. “And it’s important to give back.”