Robert Gordon (philanthropist) the late twentieth century as The Robert Gordon University. Robert Gordon (philanthropist) Robert Gordon (1668–1731), a 17th-century merchant and philanthropist, was born in Aberdeen. He was the only son of Arthur Gordon who married Isabella Menzies of Balgownie. When Arthur Gordon, a well-respected advocate in the Edinburgh courts, died in 1680, he left his twelve-year-old son the sum of 20,000 merks (about £1,100 then and considerably more in modern currency). When Gordon reached the age of sixteen he became a Burgess of the City of Aberdeen. Among other benefits, this entitled him to follow a merchant's trade in the town.
Robert Winslow Gordon the Library of Congress in 1928. He was a pioneer in using mechanical means to document folk musicians, originally using Edison cylinder recordings. He is known among folk singers as the originator of the infamous Gordon "Inferno" Collection of American songs; he also collected an early version of Kumbaya. From 1943 to 1958, he was a Professor of English at George Washington University. He died March 26, 1961. Robert Winslow Gordon Robert Winslow Gordon (September 2, 1888 – March 26, 1961) was educated at Harvard. He joined the English faculty at the University of California at Berkeley in 1918. In