Gallaudet University mourns the passing of Luther D. Robinson, M.D., a pioneer in the provision of mental health services to people who are deaf and hard of hearing.  Dr. Robinson passed away on Wednesday, October 28, and funeral services were held on Thursday, November 5 at Shiloh Baptist Church in Northwest Washington, D.C. Provost Stephen F. Weiner represented the University at the funeral, and several other members of the community attended.

Dr. Robinson, a psychiatrist, established the deaf unit at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in 1963.  The unit provided inpatient mental health services to this population, and many employment and training opportunities for generations of mental health professionals in psychiatry, psychology, social work, counseling, and the then-emerging field of psychodrama. He also worked with Gallaudet to establish the Howard University medical student training program at the Gallaudet Mental Health Center. This training program continued for over 10 years. 

Dr. Robinson taught in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Howard University School of Medicine from 1981 to 1993. He remained active in the department following retirement until 2008.  Dr. Robinson held several positions of leadership in the department prior to his retirement, including director of medical student education, director of residency training, and acting chairman. Upon his retirement, he was awarded emeritus status at Howard University.

At Gallaudet, Dr. Robinson taught for several years a popular, consistently oversubscribed psychology class, "Seminar in Human Reactions." He received the Edward Miner Gallaudet Award from the Gallaudet University Alumni Association in 1971, and an honorary doctor of science degree from the University in 1974.