- Playing
- StoryCorps Griot: George and Katie Robinson
- From
- StoryCorps
George Robinson grew up not knowing his biological father, but always wondered what he was like. For more than 40 years George searched for his dad and eventually tracked him down on the internet.
Here, George tells his daughter, Katie, about first meeting his dad.
More from StoryCorps
StoryCorps: Harrison Wright and Sean Guess
(00:01:56)
From: StoryCorps
Harrison Wright tells his grandson, Sean Guess, about serving in the Army at the end of World War II.
StoryCorps: Van and Shirley Harris
(00:02:17)
From: StoryCorps
Van Harris and his wife, Shirley, remember being young in Brooklyn during the 1940s.
StoryCorps: Theresa and Dennis McLaughlin
(00:02:16)
From: StoryCorps
Theresa McLaughlin speaks about raising her son, Dennis, who was born with spina bifida, leaving him unable to use his legs.
StoryCorps: Ricardo Isaias Zavala and Ricardo Javier Zavala
(00:02:32)
From: StoryCorps
Ricardo Isais Zavala remembers his grandfather, Vicente Domingo Villa, in an interview with his son, Ricardo Javier Zavala.
StoryCorps NTI: Kate Musick and Harleé Patrick, Jose Catalan and Carlos Vizcarra
(00:02:50)
From: StoryCorps
Two stories about teachers who went beyond the classroom to help their kids.
StoryCorps: Marco Ferreira and Wendy Tucker
(00:01:54)
From: StoryCorps
Marco Ferreira talks to his wife, Wendy Tucker, about surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2008.
StoryCorps: Lisa Combest and James Hanson-Brown
(00:02:25)
From: StoryCorps
Lisa Combest and her ex-husband, James Hanson-Brown, talk about how their marriage ended.
StoryCorps Griot: Karen Slade, Eric "Rico" Reed and Arthur "Sonny" Williams
(00:02:28)
From: StoryCorps
Karen Slade, Eric "Rico" Reed, and Arthur "Sonny" Williams of radio station KJLH remember the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.
StoryCorps: Kenneth and Gaye Honeycutt
(00:02:03)
From: StoryCorps
Kenneth Honeycutt tells his wife Gaye about witnessing the New London School Explosion of 1937.
StoryCorps: David Plant and Frank Lilley
(00:02:34)
From: StoryCorps
Frank Lilley interviews his stepfather, David Plant, about approaching the end of his life.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
George Robinson grew up not knowing his biological father, but always wondered what he was like. For more than 40 years George searched for his dad and eventually tracked him down on the internet.
Here, George tells his daughter, Katie, about first meeting his dad.
Broadcast History
NPR Morning Edition 8/12/11
Transcript
George Robinson (GR): As I was growing up, various relatives would share little bits about my biological father. I heard that he was a sergeant in the Army. I also heard that he worked in food service in the Army; and the service wouldn't use leftovers, and he would take that food and give it to poor people. Which made me really want to get to know him, a person that would do that.
Katie Robinson (KR): So what was it like when you finally got to meet your father in person?
GR: When I pulled up to the house, we met at the doorstep and he put his hands on my face and then touched my knees, each of my knees, and then he took his hands and put his hands next to mine, like he was trying to feel was I really his son, and he said, "You know I dated a beautiful lady for a short time, and I did not know anything about you."And I said, "Listen: I want to, in the time that we have, know everythin...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Time now for StoryCorps, the project that's recording your stories.
Today we hear from George Robinson.
George's parents never married… and he didn't know his biological dad.
But growing up, George always wondered what he was like.
TEASE - "Every year I would get a physical with a doctor, and on the form, they would always ask you information about the illnesses that your parents had. But I could never tell anything about my father...and I used to make stuff up."
It took 40 years for George to find his father… eventually tracking him down on the internet.
Turns out his father never knew he had a son.
OUTRO:George Robinson with his daughter Katie at StoryCorps in Edina [ee-DY-nuh], Minnesota.
Their conversation will be archived with all StoryCorps interviews at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Get the podcast at N-P-R dot org.
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flax | Fredrik | Trilogi. | Kora Records | 2010 | 00:21 |
Additional Credits
NPR, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Principal Financial Group
Related Website
Of 1 purchasers of this piece...
- 1 also bought:
Laughing without an Accent (00:18:02) - 1 also bought:
A Cook's Notebook: Cold Soup (00:03:08) - 1 also bought:
The Hula Lesson (00:57:26) - 1 also bought:
Life Stories - Friendship (00:59:05) - 1 also bought:
The '63 March: Going to D.C. (00:07:03)
