2017 Scholarship Winner

Jacob Harry Robinson (7751252)
Portrait of Jacob Harry Robinson (7751252)

Jacob is the son of Steve (M775125) and Tracey More Robinson (775125). He attended SUNY Delhi, majoring in Recreation and Sports Facility Management. He received an internship as a student assistant coach for the SUNY Delhi softball team. He attended Hudson Valley Community College where he made the President’s list in his first semester.

Jacob's essay

One of my ancestors that lived 80 years ago was my grandfather Harry Glenn More. I wasn’t fortunate enough to meet him, as he died August 4th, 1993. But after hearing many stories about him we seem very much alike. I have a letter that Harry wrote when he was just 16 years old. In this letter he talks about many things that occurred in his young life. 80 years ago on September 8th, 1937 my grandfather Harry More was entering high school. In this section he describes the things that he did that ties us together and make us very similar. He explains how he was in the high school orchestra, and that he played many sports such as basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer and football. All of these things make us similar because during my four years in high school I was in the concert band and played football, basketball, and baseball. I believe that if it were I who lived during that time period I would do the same things, if not more. If Harry and I grew up together we would undoubtedly be best of friends. Another similarity that we share is our love of the outdoors, fishing and hunting. He explains in his letter that on top of all the school work and sports, he tried to go hunting and fishing as much as possible. It’s very unique that we share so many things even though we lived in very different time periods. Many of my close relatives say that I am very much like my grandfather. Another hobby that we both loved was woodworking. My love of woodworking started when I was very little when I would pretend to be Bob the Builder. From that point on I loved to build all sorts of things, much like my grandfather. When my grandparents moved into their house on Oneida street in Oneonta, New York, Harry built most all of the furniture that is still there today. If I was in that position many years ago, I would’ve built the furniture too because I too have built the desk, bookshelf and dresser that is in my bedroom. I was not lucky enough to meet my grandfather so we could share our love of building. But through pictures and his old pieces of work, I have built many things that are in my house today.

Although we did have many similarities in life, Harry had something happen to him that is unlike anything I’ve seen in mine. When Harry was two years old he was sent to the New York State hospital in Haverstraw. The reason for this was because he had something known as Potts Disease. This was caused by the drinking of impure milk which they bought from a dairyman near Walton, NY. Many people who are diagnosed with this sickness usually don’t make it. Unlike those people, he was pulling through. After spending several years in the hospital, he had a mastoid and was unconscious for three days and three nights and wasn’t expected to live through that, but he did. Following that medical issue something else happened. Harry had his appendix removed when he was seven years old all while he was in the hospital for his original illness. After being in the hospital for seven and a half years he was sent home. I can’t believe what that could have been like, being in a hospital for seven years. If it were me who had that illness, I personally would’ve fought just as hard as he did to get home to my family.

There are many days that I wish that I was able to meet my grandfather. Through many of the stories that I have been told by family members and the letter handwritten from Harry, I believe that we had a lot in common and shared many of the same interests.

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