Robert Redford
Robert Redford was born in August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California, the son of Martha W. (née Hart) and Charles Robert Redford Sr. (November 19, 1914 – April 2, 1991), a milkman-turned-accountant from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He has a half-brother, William, from his father’s re-marriage. Redford is of English and Scots-Irish ancestry.
When he was a child, legendary tennis star Pancho Gonzales asked Redford to warm him up before a match by hitting a few balls with him. Redford claims that this was one of the most memorable moments of his life in a documentary called “Remembering Pancho”.
He attended Van Nuys High School in Los Angeles, California where he was classmates with Natalie Wood and Don Drysdale, and was a teammate on the Van Nuys High School baseball team with Don Drysdale. He graduated in 1954, and received a baseball scholarship to the University of Colorado, where he was a pitcher. He lost the scholarship due to excessive fratting, possibly fueled by the death of his mother, which occurred when Redford was 18. He later studied painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and took classes in theatrical set design at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
In September 1958, Redford married Lola Van Wagenen, who dropped out of college to marry him. They had four children: James, Shauna, Amy, and Scott Anthony Redford, their first child, who died in 1959 at age 2½ months of sudden infant death syndrome. They divorced in 1985.
In July 2009, Redford married his longtime partner, Sibylle Szaggars at the luxury Louis C. Jacob Hotel in Hamburg, Germany. She moved in with Redford in the 1990s and shared his Sundance, Utah home.
He attended the University of Colorado in the 1950s and received an Honorary Degree in 1983.
In 1995, Redford received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Bard College. He was a 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award/Honorary Oscar recipient at the 74th Academy Awards.
In December 2005, he received honors at the Kennedy Center for his contributions to American culture. The Honors recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts: whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television.
The University of Southern California (USC) School of Theater announced the first annual Robert Redford Award for Engaged Artists in 2009. According to the school’s web site, the award was created “to honor those who have distinguished themselves not only in the exemplary quality, skill and innovation of their work, but also in their public commitment to social responsibility, to increasing awareness of global issues and events, and to inspiring and empowering young people.”
Robert Redford received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Brown University at the 240th Commencement exercises on May 25, 2008. He also spoke during the ceremonies.
