San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23
ROBINSON WAS
!. HOOVER AIDE
IN WORLD WAR
New Owner Of St. Anthony
Was Feed Conservation
Expert.
HELPED BUILD TULSA
Owns Baltimore and Muel-
bach m Kansas
City.
HELPED BUILD TULSA
Descended from q famous innkeeper

wallace Noble Robinson, VINO recent
ly purchased the St. Anthony Hotel
for the sum of s1,400,00O, comes to
San Antonio not emily as one of the
foremost hotel men of the Southwest,
but also as an international figure of
interesting Importance. Mr.. Robinson's
war work under Herbert Hoover, as
one q the seven food conservation eK-
ports Of the United States during the
World war, made his name as well
known in New York City as it is in
Tulsa, Okla, where not SO many years
ago, his hota career started BY &C.
eident.
Having recently completed his third
term - president Of the National Ho-
tel Association OF America and Can
ada, Mr.. Robinson still retains the
title of president Of the Mid Continent
Hotd Association Of Kansas City,
No., where he and bis three associates
own and manage the famous Baltimore
and Nuelbaeh Hotels. Mr.. Robinson
will divide his time between San An
tonic and Kansas City, but Wallace
Robinson Jr., who has served for
twelve years as Ills father's assista Mt
IN the hotel business, viii be the resi-
Seat manager Of the st. Anthony.
HOW fOO0 WAS S0RSefVe8.
Mr.. Robinson considers his food con
sexvation work under Hoover the most
interestiHa chapter Of his life. Be-
cause of his outstanding position rs a
hotel man of America, Mr.. Robinson
ves designated By Herbert Hoover as
one Of this eountry's seven food con-
Servationists during the World war.
Our principal method of conserv-
g. ~. 49,, - u -
ing of thrift" Mr.. Robinson stated in
regard to this work under Hoover. ''Of
all the raw produce of the United
States, beef and wheat were the chief
items that had 10 be conserved. We
tried 70 increase tae output by en-
couragiHg greater production in the
country districts, and We guarded the
supply used BY hotels and cafes. We
fought war Of our own against waste
and beEeve that the results have
been far reaching, descending to the
younger generation through the prece-
dent established during the war"
Mr.. Robinson 10 delighted with his
latest purchase, the st. Anthony Ho-
tel. He is planning many interesting
changes, and win probably add several
novelties that have never been injected
into the hotels OF this part of the
country. The entire interior Of the ho-
ell VIII be renovated, where necessary,
rooms and portions of the building
needing Frightening or changing will
be redeeorsted, and every necessary
improvement will be added. There NAV
be quite . change in furnishings and
drsperies.
I'VE win eontinBe the policy and
standard established by the st. An
thoDy," Mr.. Robinson stated. with
the improvements that are contemplate
ed. we anticipate making the St. An
thony a home-like place for visitors. 50
that the hotel will become in itself a
resort for tourists. guaranteeing them
q pleasant stay in this city,"
Built His First Hotel.
Rather a surprising beginning il
linked with the story Of Mr.. Robin.
sons hotel career. Although he had
the germ in his system, as he puts il
from several Irish ancestors whose
hospitality was a matter of fame in
the hills OF North ireland, he stumbled
into the business more BY accident
than by choice.
In 1901, according to Mr.. Robinson
he and four or five associates went tc
the rich fields of the Indian Territory
with the object of buying land at bar
gain prices, in order to invest in farms
Prior to that time, Mr.. Robinson hat
owned and operated a large wholesale
house in Kansas City.
Having entered a country that 10 al
appearances was budding with prom
Use, Mr.. Robinson and his friends in
vested heavily in Indian Territor,
lands. The country that is now Okla
homa was at that time sparsely set
tied, and the little town of Tulsa wa
just country village, without conyen
fences and without hotel. Thereb,
hangs the tale Of Mr.. Robinson's ca
reer.
Had to Sheep on Ground.
Because he and his party of Kansa
City men were compelled TO sleep il
shaeks and on the ground, durin
their stay in the vicinity of Tulss
Mr.: Robinson conceived the idea q
building a small hotel. The surround
ing territory was settling rapidly. an
MI: Robinson considered a hotel i
Tulsa a fairly good investment. Cor
sequently, corner acreage was pur
chased, and a three-room shack wa
moved In order to make room for Tu
sa's first hotel, "The Acorn"
The Alcorn figured prominently i
Tulsa's early history. During thos
times. Tulsa sat almost on the frontlt
of development in Oklahoma. The
were no industries, no commercial 10
sibilities that gave great promise. an
no transportation facilities that won,
help in building community. Tuls
was a handful Of tiny homes. but 4
people, according to Mr.. Robinso
were greater and more valuable tha
skyscrapers would have been in n
days of the towns beginning.
AS the hotel man of Tulsa, Mr. Ro
tasof figured prominently in the ma
ing OF early history there. Its phone
builders gathered in the Acorn
wrestle with problems facing the lit
town, just as the Minute Men are sa
TO have gathered in Independence Hs
10 fight the hard battle of create
in an embryo state. 1t was there tn
Tulsa's first railroads were Undue
to enter the town, as the street fai
operettas and benefit programs, who
funds built Tulsa's first transportati
facilities from a promise to a realit
were conceived in the lobby of the
corn, where Mr.. and Mrs. Robins
led meetings rallying all its people
she support of the struggling town.
Post Tells His Story.
In q recent article on Tulsa's h
tory. appearing in the Saturday Il
ming Post. something is told of {
part that Mr.. and Mrs. Robins