Pat Robertson, Evangelical Christian leader who ran for president as a Republican, has died at the age of 93.
His death was announced by the Christian Broadcasting Network, which Mr. Robertson founded in 1960.
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Who was Pat Robertson?
Early Life and Education
Pat Robertson was born as Marion Robertson on March 22, 1930 in Lexington, Virginia into a prominent political family. His mother was musician Gladys Churchill, and his father was conservative Democratic Senator Absalom Robertson. He has an older brother named Willis Jr., who gave him the nickname Pat as a child. Robertson was educated at the McDonogh School in Maryland and the McCallie School in Tennessee. He went on to attend Washington and Lee University back in Virginia, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in history.
In 1948, Robertson joined the US Marine Corps. He served in the Korean War and was honored with three Battle Stars. Upon his return to the United States in 1952, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. Robertson subsequently enrolled at Yale Law School, from which he graduated in 1955. However, after failing his first attempt at the New York bar exam, he underwent a Christian conversion and decided to enter ministry. Robertson earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Biblical Seminary in New York in 1959.
Christian Broadcasting Network
Now a born-again Christian, Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960. The company began broadcasting on WYAH-TV in Virginia in 1961. In 1966, CBN launched its flagship television program, “The 700 Club,” a news magazine show featuring music, guests, testimonies, and Christian ministry. Robertson hosted the program from 1966 until 1987, and then from 1988 to 2021. In the early years of “The 700 Club,” he alternated hosting duties with Jim Bakker.
In 1977, CBN launched a religious cable network that became the first direct-to-cable, satellite-delivered television channel in the United States. It eventually became the Family Channel, and was so lucrative that it couldn’t be kept under a tax-exempt charity any longer. As a result, Robertson spun off the channel into a separate commercial entity, which was acquired by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation in 1997.
Regent University
Robertson founded Christian Broadcasting Network University in 1977; it was renamed Regent University in 1990. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the school offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study. In association with Regent University, Robertson founded the American Center for Law & Justice, a public interest law firm headquartered in Washington DC. The firm promotes conservative Christian values.
Political Activities
Robertson became heavily involved in politics in the 1980s. Early in the decade, he served on Ronald Reagan’s Victims of Crime Task Force, and in Virginia served on the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors. In 1988, Robertson ran for the Republican presidential nomination, relinquishing his ministerial credentials to do so. Ultimately, he lost his bid to George H. W. Bush.
Personal Life
In 1954, Pat Robertson married fashion model Amelia Elmer, who was studying for her master’s degree in nursing at Yale University, where Robertson was studying law. The couple had four children, and remained married until Elmer’s passing in 2022.
Pat Robertson death
On June 8, 2023, it was announced Pat Robertson died at his Virginia Beach home at the age of 93.
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Pat Robertson cause of death
Pat Robertson’s death was announced by his broadcasting network, which he founded in 1960. No cause of death was given.
“My dad was at home, surrounded by his family when he entered glory and met his Savior face to face, whom he loved and served with his whole heart, mind, and being,” Robertson’s son and Christian Broadcasting Network CEO Gordon Robertson wrote in a tribute.
“My father was an extraordinary man by any standard. He was an evangelist, a humanitarian, an entrepreneur, an educator, an author, a statesman, a television personality, a man of global influence and tremendous vision.”
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