Homer Rufus Robinson

Homer R. Robinson holds the distinction of serving as the first executive director of the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System.

In February 1947, Robinson was selected to lead the newly created retirement system after emerging from a competitive field of 30 applicants who completed both written examinations and oral interviews. Prior to joining LASERS, he served as Chief of the Audits and Inspection Division for the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

As the System’s first administrator, Robinson faced the enormous responsibility of helping establish and organize a retirement system designed to provide long-term financial security for Louisiana’s state employees.

At the time of his appointment, Board of Trustees member C.J. Winters said:

“As the first administrator of the new system, he faces a difficult task, that of putting into operation a retirement plan which will affect the security of thousands. Employees will be glad to know that their interests are in the most capable hands.”

Archival newspaper records indicate Robinson traveled throughout the state conducting educational presentations for new LASERS members. His sessions covered retirement eligibility, benefit calculations, service credit, and many of the same topics addressed today in LASERS’ modern PREP workshops.

Although his tenure lasted only from 1947 to 1949, Robinson played an important role in laying the groundwork for the future of LASERS. Many of the policies and operational practices established during the System’s earliest years continued to evolve and strengthen over the decades that followed.

Beyond his work in public service, Robinson led a remarkable and accomplished life.

Interesting Facts About Homer Robinson

• Born in Illinois, Robinson moved with his family to the Lake Charles area as a child.
• He attended Tulane University, where he became a standout football player at the center position.
• Robinson earned All-Southeastern Conference honors in 1933 and 1934 and lettered in football from 1932 to 1934.
• He played on Tulane’s 1934 Southeastern Conference Championship team, which also won the inaugural Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 1935 by defeating Temple University.
• Nicknamed “Home” by teammates, Robinson suffered a fractured skull during a head-on collision in the Sugar Bowl game.
• In addition to athletics, he excelled academically and was active in numerous student organizations, including:
  • Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity
  • Tulane’s Young Men’s Christian Association cabinet
  • Omicron Delta Kappa, a national honorary leadership fraternity
• Robinson graduated from Tulane in 1935 with a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education.
• Shortly after graduation, he married Christine Fontenot, daughter of Louisiana’s Collector of Revenue.
• During World War II, Robinson served three years in the U.S. Navy as a warrant officer from 1943 to 1946.

Robinson left LASERS in September 1949, but his contributions to the newly formed retirement system left a lasting impact. His leadership helped establish a strong foundation for the agency during its earliest and most formative years.

Homer Robinson passed away in 1982 in Houston, Texas. He is remembered as a dedicated public servant, military veteran, and accomplished collegiate athlete whose leadership helped launch the future of LASERS.