s ▁in ▁Switzerland <0x0A> </s> ▁Max ie ▁Cleveland ▁" Max " ▁Robinson , ▁Jr . ▁( May ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁– ▁December ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁broadcast ▁journalist , ▁most ▁not ably ▁serving ▁as ▁co - anchor ▁on ▁ABC ▁World ▁News ▁Ton ight ▁alongside ▁Frank ▁Reyn olds ▁and ▁Peter ▁Jenn ings ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁Robinson ▁is ▁noted ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁broadcast ▁network ▁news ▁anchor ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Robinson ▁was ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Association ▁of ▁Black ▁Journal ists . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Robinson ▁was ▁born ▁the ▁second ▁of ▁four ▁children ▁( his ▁sib lings ▁were ▁his ▁sister ▁Jew ell , ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁teacher ; ▁his ▁brother ▁Rand all , ▁a ▁Harvard - ed uc ated ▁lawyer ; ▁and ▁his ▁sister ▁Jean , ▁a ▁public ist ) ▁to ▁Max ie , ▁a ▁teacher ▁and ▁Dor is ▁Robinson ▁in ▁Richmond , ▁Virginia . ▁The ▁schools ▁in ▁Richmond ▁were ▁still ▁seg reg ated ▁when ▁he ▁attended ▁them ; ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Arm strong ▁High ▁School , ▁Robinson ▁attended ▁Ober lin ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁fresh man ▁class ▁president ; ▁however , ▁he ▁only ▁stayed ▁there ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁gradu ate . ▁ ▁Robinson ▁briefly ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁Language ▁School ▁at ▁Indiana ▁University ▁before