Michael Roberts, Sr.
Entrepreneur Michael Victor Roberts, Sr. was born on October 24, 1948, in St. Louis, Missouri to Delores Talley Roberts and Victor Roberts. He grew up the first of four siblings. The Roberts family was educated in the St. Louis Public School System, and Roberts began working as a youth, earning money doing chores around the neighborhood and delivering newspapers. Roberts heard St. Louis’ Dick Gregory talk about the Civil Rights Movement and was inspired. Graduating from Northwest High School in 1967, where he played the trombone and tennis, Roberts attended Central Missouri State University and Forest Park Community College. He met Jack Danforth at Camp Minnewanka and finished Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri as a Danforth Fellow. He began his first business selling dashikis and other African merchandise to area bookstores. Roberts studied law at St. Louis University School of Law, and in 1974, earned his J.D. degree and began Roberts-Roberts and Associates, a business and construction management firm headquartered in St. Louis.
In 1976, Roberts worked as St. Louis campaign manager for Jimmy Carter, and after Carter’s election as U.S. President, he was a regular guest at the White House. One year later, Roberts was elected the youngest alderman in St. Louis. His brother, Steven C. Roberts, would claim this title two years later, serving along with Mike Jones, Virvus Jones and Wayman Smith. Roberts was the chief sponsor of the St. Louis Center and Union Station developments, and he was involved in major redevelopment efforts for the City of St. Louis.
In 1981, Roberts and his brother began Roberts Broadcasting. After establishing WRBU-TV in St. Louis, the Roberts Brothers would build eleven more television stations across the country, from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Mobile, Alabama. While building these stations, the Roberts Brothers founded Roberts Construction Company in 1989. This additional business enterprise supplemented the commercial and residential developments the brothers had established in 1982 known as Roberts Brothers Properties.
In 1999, the Roberts Brothers opened the first Sprint PCS-affiliated wireless store in Jefferson City, Missouri. It was the only PCS-affiliated company owned by African Americans. The Roberts Companies include a $460 million thirty-four-company organization, with an aviation division, a gated Bahamas community and other real estate developments. Roberts serves as chairman of the board, while his brother Steven serves as president.
A2007.295
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10/18/2007 |and| 12/6/2007
Roberts
V.
Northwest High School
Scullin Elementary School
Cupples Elementary School
Saint Louis University School of Law
Lindenwood University
University of Central Missouri
Michael
St. Louis
ROB20
Spring
Missouri
Bahamas
Fake It Until You Make It.

Missouri
10/24/1948
St. Louis
United States
Fried Chicken
City alderman Michael Roberts, Sr. (1948 - ) was a former alderman of St. Louis, Missouri; and former campaign manager for Jimmy Carter. He and his brother Steven Roberts, Sr. co-founded the Roberts Companies, which included an aviation division, a gated Bahamas community and real estate development. He served as the company's board chairman.
St. Louis Board of Aldermen
The Roberts Companies
Earth Tones
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Michael Roberts, Sr.'s interview, session 1
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the black neighborhoods of St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his mother's education
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his father's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Steven Roberts, Sr. remembers meeting his paternal cousin
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his paternal family's move to St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls his father's service in the U.S. military
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his father's career
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his likeness to his parents
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his earliest childhood memories
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers moving to San Francisco Court in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his light complexion, pt. 1
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his light complexion, pt. 2
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his schooling in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his early activities
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. narrates a photograph of Dick Gregory and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his early work experiences
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls his early cultural experiences
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his experiences in college
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers Lindenwood College for Men in St. Charles, Missouri
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his interest in existentialism
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers lessons from Sam Lapp
Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
Tape: 3 Story: 10 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls the development of his interest in law
Tape: 3 Story: 11 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls working at Camp Miniwanca in Stony Lake, Michigan
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Slating of Michael Roberts, Sr.'s interview, session 2
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls buying a home in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls integrating the New York Athletic Club
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers integrating the Missouri Athletic Club
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers The Hague Academy in the Netherlands
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his meeting with F.W. de Klerk
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls working as a campaign manager for President Jimmy Carter
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his work with the St. Louis Board of Aldermen
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. reflects upon his role at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, pt. 1
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. reflects upon his role at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, pt. 2
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls serving as a diplomatic delegate to Brazil
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his research on his paternal family, pt. 1
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his research on his paternal family, pt. 2
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers registering voters in New Orleans, Louisiana
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the voting rights case of Roberts v. Wamser
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about the case of Bush v. Gore
Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his criticism of President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr.
Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his relationships with black elected officials
Tape: 5 Story: 10 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls acquiring of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. building in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls his first television station acquisition
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the importance of business relationships
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls his partnership with the Home Shopping Network
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the Roberts Broadcasting Company's workforce
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. recalls the development of Roberts Wireless Communications
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers partnering with Lucent Technologies, Inc.
Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers WorldCom's acquisition of the Sprint PCS Group
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the success of The Shops at Roberts Village in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about inner city revitalization
Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes The Roberts Companies' real estate in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. reflects upon The Roberts Companies' business philosophy
Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the Roberts Hotels Group, LLC, pt. 1
Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the Roberts Hotels Group, LLC, pt. 2
Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes plans for the A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham, Alabama
Tape: 7 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the Roberts Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 7 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the Roberts Hotels Group, LLC's success
Tape: 8 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Tape: 8 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes the opportunities for African Americans in business
Tape: 8 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about the success of The Roberts Companies
Tape: 8 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his advice for young people
Tape: 8 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about the challenges he faced in business
Tape: 8 Story: 6 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community
Tape: 8 Story: 7 - Michael Roberts, Sr. reflects upon his life
Tape: 8 Story: 8 - Michael Roberts, Sr. remembers his mother's college graduation
Tape: 8 Story: 9 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his children
Tape: 8 Story: 10 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri
Tape: 9 Story: 1 - Michael Roberts, Sr. talks about his wife, Jeanne Gore Roberts
Tape: 9 Story: 2 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes his book, 'Action Has No Season'
Tape: 9 Story: 3 - Michael Roberts, Sr. describes how he would like to be remembered
Tape: 9 Story: 4 - Michael Roberts, Sr. narrates his photographs, pt. 1
Tape: 9 Story: 5 - Michael Roberts, Sr. narrates his photographs, pt. 2
2$2
4$6
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