White House Historical Association

Francis H. Robinson

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"Francis H. Robinson," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/630.
Position
Chauffeur
Years in President's House
1910 – 1940
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Presidencies
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren G. Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Biography
Francis Howlett Robinson, sometimes known as “Robbie,” was born in Massachusetts in 1875.1 He first joined the White House staff as a chauffeur in 1910 after President William Howard Taft opted for a form of transportation– automobiles– at the Executive Mansion.2 Francis Robinson replaced former chauffeur George Robinson (no relation) upon the recommendation of the White Company, an early auto manufacturer.3 Francis Robinson spent the next three decades driving presidents, first ladies, and their guests, including kings, queens, and prime ministers. Prince Albert of Belgium even awarded Robinson with a medal to thank him for his service during a 1919 visit to the capital.4 Robinson was eventually promoted to superintendent of the White House Garage.5 Newspapers praised his many years of service without accidents, writing: “Carrying the life of the president of the United States in his hands… Francis Robinson… has probably contributed as much as any American to the stability of the nation.”6 The press even estimated that throughout his White House career, he drove approximately half a million miles.7 He managed the White House Garage and the many chauffeurs and workers there up to his passing on November 1, 1940.8 He was buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Maryland with Masonic honors.9
  1. Francis Howlett Robinson Family Tree, Ancestry, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/35831029/person/28106951590/facts?_phsrc=GAH364&_phstart=successSource.
  2. “Hoover Doesn’t Worry Over Auto Accidents,” Boston Globe, August 7, 1930, pg. 13; “White House Garage Superintendent Stricken,” Evening Star, November 15, 1939, pg. 8; In the 1910 census, he is listed as “automobile demonstrator.” See Francis H. Robinson in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Year: 1910; Census Place: Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_617; Page: 1a; Enumeration District: 1411; FHL microfilm: 1374630, Ancestry.com; White House–Garage Correspondence, 1930-1933 and Undated, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.
  3. Michael L. Bromley, William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Presidency (McFarland & Company, Inc. ,2003), 285.
  4. “Francis H. Robinson: The Man Behind the Wheel at the White House,” Ghosts of DC, https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/04/17/francis-h-robinson-first-white-house-chauffeur/.
  5. “White House Garage Superintendent Stricken,” Evening Star, November 15, 1939, pg. 8.
  6. Peter Keegan, “Washington: Inside Out,” Oklahoma Courier, September 13, 1930, pg. 8.
  7. “How Four Presidents Flirted with the Speed Limit,” Literary Digest, August 1, 1925, pg. 52.
  8. “Francis H. Robinson, Chief of Garage for White House, Dies,” Evening Star, November 2, 1940, pg. A-8, Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1940-11-02/ed-1/seq-8/.
  9. “F. H. Robinson Dies, Drove For Presidents,” Washington Post, November 2, 1940, pg. 24.
Birthplace
Massachusetts, USA
Cedar Hill Cemetery
Related Workers
George H. Robinson
Transportation, 1909 – 1910
Walter Wagstaff
Transportation, circa 1909 – 1911
W.L. Jackson
Transportation, circa 1910 – 1911
William Miller
Transportation, circa 1918 – 1955
Educational Resources
Driving the President: The White House Chauffeur
The president steers the country, but someone else is behind the wheel. In this video, learn about the historic role of the White House chauffeur, from the 1800s to today.