University of Virginia Library

Chuck Robb

Forum President Proves Himself

Profile

By LYNN STERN

"I've tried to maintain a
low profile," third-year law
student Chuck Robb, Student
Legal Forum President said in
an interview Saturday. "The
first two years I tried not to
get involved in any other
activities on the Grounds. I had
a number of other things I was
involved in– a business and
financial interests, family things
that took a great deal of my
time."

Once he became involved,
however, Mr. Robb, as Forum
President, brought to the
University 25 nationally
prominent speakers, including
Vice President Spiro T. Agnew,
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey,
Senator Edward M. Kennedy,
and newscaster Walter
Cronkite. "We invited speakers
for the most part to come
down and try out ideas that
might be somewhat
controversial or hard to sell
and see what a sophisticated
student audience could do with
it," he said.

As hard as he tries, blending
in with the University
community is not an easy task
for Mr. Robb. Married to
former President Lyndon
Johnson's daughter Lynda
Bird, he is constantly
scrutinized by the public.

"I made my peace with that
a long time ago," he said, but
mournfully adds, "most people
don't accept you at face value
until you prove yourself to
them on an individual, personal
basis. There is nothing I can do
about the way people perceive
me."

In this respect, Mr. Robb
believes he "was fortunate in
that I had been out of school
five or six years and had
established myself and my own
record in college and in the
service, so that it was not the
problem for me that it could
be for a number of other
people."

He sees himself as
"fortunate to have had what
would have been considered
rather plush assignments before
I was married, because if I had
had them after I was married,
I would have been subject to a
great deal of criticism, I'm
sure."

As a Marine, Mr. Robb was
assigned to the Presidential
Commandship, made company
commander at a camp in
North Carolina and served as
an aid to the commanding
general. visiting troops and
installations around the
Caribbean and Europe.

By this time he had requested
overseas expeditionary duty,
but was instead assigned to the
White House as a social aid and
the officer in charge of the

color guard." It was here that
he met his wife.

He continued, however, to
request an overseas tour
because he "felt I had a duty,
particularly having had all this
plush duty. Like most young
men, I wanted to see how I
would perform when the chips
were down."

Mr. Robb served in
Vietnam for 13 months,
returning in April, 1969.

Mr. Robb sees both
advantages and disadvantages
in being married, but feels the
sacrifices are worth the
benefits. "One of the most
pleasant things I can imagine is
to go home after a day at the