| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Had attended church at an early age. |
| 2 | All of the presidents whom Robertson was working for; whilst in college, were actually friends of his father's. |
| 3 | His hobbies are: raising horses, politics, spending time with his family, hunting, studying, reading, praying, golfing, weightlifting, ballroom dancing, listening to music and fishing. |
| 4 | Is the only televangelist ever to have higher education in college, while spending time in the military, and to attempt to run for president, than anybody else. |
| 5 | At one point, he wanted to become a politician, when he wound up being both a televangelist and a television host. |
| 6 | At McCallie Preparatory High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, being the popular student that Robertson was, he played in a lot of sports, such as: football, boxing, track and weightlifting. As he entered college, he played wrestling. |
| 7 | Former Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey, who served with Robertson in Korea, wrote a public letter which said that Robertson was actually spared combat duty when his powerful father, a U.S. Senator, intervened on his behalf, and that Robertson spent most of his time in an office in Japan. According to McCloskey, his time in the service was not in combat but as the "liquor officer" responsible for keeping the officers' clubs supplied with liquor. Robertson filed a $35 million libel suit against McCloskey. He dropped the case in 1988, before it came to trial and paid McCloskey's court costs. According to a newspaper report, Robertson confirmed elements of McCloskey's allegations and said that he never saw front-line duty. [1986]. |
| 8 | Robertson's father named him after a cousin who had been his father's college roommate, Marion Gordon. His six-year-old brother delighted in patting his little hands on his baby brother's chubby cheeks while he said "pat, pat, pat" over and over. His parents must have thought this was cute, so they made "Pat" his nickname. He was obviously defenseless to protest "Pat," but in later life, he felt that "Marion" sounded a touch effeminate and "M. Gordon" sounded affected, so he was named Pat. |
| 9 | Received a letter from one of Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, about her husband's, Danny Lotz's, frailing health, asking him for urgent prayer. [20 June 2014]. |
| 10 | Has retired as Chief Executive of CBN and his son Gord Robertson succeeded him. [3 December 2007]. |
| 11 | A global businessman with media holdings in Asia, the United Kingdom, and Africa, he struck a deal with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based General Nutrition Center to produce and market a weight-loss shake he created and promoted on The 700 Club (1966). |
| 12 | Robertson's diamond business also involved Charles Taylor, the Liberian leader who seized power in a violent coup, and became president after an election, widely considered tainted, held the following year. Robertson referred to Taylor as a Christian, a good Baptist, and a friend. To the rest of the world, however, Taylor is a man indicted for war crimes, including much of the bloodshed and atrocities that have afflicted Liberia and its neighbor nations for years. [1996]. |
| 13 | In 1977, he purchased a local Leased access cable TV channel in the Hampton Roads area and called it CBN. Originally he went door-to-door in Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, and other surrounding areas asking Christians to buy cable boxes so that they could receive his new channel. He also canvassed local churches in the Virginia Beach area to do the same, and solicited donations through public speaking engagements at local churches and on CBN. One of his friends, John Giminez, the pastor of Rock Church Virginia Beach, was influential in helping Robertson establish CBN with donations, as well as offering the services of volunteers from his church. |
| 14 | Governing Member of the Council for National Policy (CNP): Board of Governors 1982, President Executive Committee 1985-86, member, 1984, 1988, 1998.[36]. |
| 15 | Robertson was a signer of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together. [1994]. |
| 16 | Cancelled his speaking engagement at The Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The basis of his cancellation was due to the event's lack of organization. [20 January 2013]. |
| 17 | Had joked that his first words were: "Mama", "Daddy", and "Constituent". |
| 18 | When he was 13, Robertson was a troublesome kid, who smoked, drank, was popular with girls, and frequently stayed out until 3:00 in the morning. |
| 19 | In June 1950, Robertson enrolled at the University of London for a survey course called "The Arts in Britain Today." On occasional weekends he crossed the English Channel to France. Sitting at a sidewalk café in Paris in mid-June 1950, he read "La guerre dans Coree." Then as he read on, he learned that the United States was calling the "fusiliers marins" into active service. That meant him. On October 2, 1950, a couple of weeks after his return from Europe, Robertson was ordered to report for duty at the First Special Basic Class for young Marine Corps officers at Quantico, Virginia. |
| 20 | When asked in 2012 about how to repair his marriage to a woman who "has no respect for me as the head of the house," he ridiculously (and offensively) said to the married man that he could go to Saudi Arabia, and become a Muslim. Strangely, this response observed laughter from his co-hostess, Terry Meeuwsen, and he didn't stop this conversation. |
| 21 | His parents built their own home on what had been an apple orchard. |
| 22 | His first son, Timothy shares the same birthday with (and was born in the same year as) Maria Shriver. |
| 23 | A sports buff. |
| 24 | Was enrolled in a tough military prep school called McDonough, located nearby Baltimore, Maryland, in a suburb of Owings Mills. |
| 25 | His son, Timothy, serves as the television executive of The 700 Club (1966). |
| 26 | His interest of politics began when he formed a "Robertson for Congress" committee for his father, A. Willis Robertson. |
| 27 | His birthplace, Lexington, Virginia, is 52 miles North of Roanoke, Virginia. |
| 28 | For decades, Robertson said that he and his wife were married in March 1954, nine months before his first son's birthday. When he ran for President, however, Time magazine dug up Robertson's marriage license, and found that he was married in August of 1954, about ten weeks before his first son's birthday. Robertson said he and his wife had always celebrate their anniversary in March, on his own birthday, "because our son was conceived that day." In more recent public biographies, Robertson's wedding date is listed correctly, but now his firstborn son is frequently listed as having been born in 1955. |
| 29 | Underwent another successful open heart surgery at First Health Moore Regional Hospital, Pinehurst, North Carolina. [19 August 2009]. |
| 30 | Despite being on good terms with him, Sheila Walsh left The 700 Club (1966), in 1992. Ideological differences with him and general feelings of depression brought Walsh to re-examine her life's direction. She sought therapy for her depression, eventually returning to college at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California to take on doctoral studies in theology. Robertson explained her departure from CBN as the result of a "nervous breakdown" brought on by the tremendous demands of her work with CBN. He asked his viewers to keep her in their prayers and ask God to give her the strength to continue doing His work, hence, she was replaced by original former co-host, Ben Kinchlow, a second time, who stayed on until he departed for good, in 1996. |
| 31 | Had celebrated his 80th birthday. The Virginia legislature passed a resolution lauding him as a great American and visionary leader "committed to protecting religious and constitutional freedom." [22 March 2010]. |
| 32 | He invited a popular Christian rock musician, Sheila Walsh, into co-hosting The 700 Club (1966), replacing longtime co-host, Ben Kinchlow, who himself, replaced Walsh. |
| 33 | At age 26, Robertson moved to New York City, New York, in 1956, where he headed The Stevenson For President Committee for one of the boroughs of New York City. |
| 34 | At age 22, Robertson was on the floor of the Democratic Party Presidential Convention in Chicago, Illinois, in 1952. |
| 35 | His parents, A. Willis Robertson and Gladys Churchill, were both married on October 19, 1920. They nearly had Pat, a decade afterwards. |
| 36 | His heroes were George Washington and Robert E. Lee. |
| 37 | His wife, Dede Robertson, was a graduate from Ohio State University and studied for a masters degree in nursing at Yale University. |
| 38 | Before he was a successful televangelist and television host, he worked with W.R. Grace, as the company's tax counselor, for one summer. |
| 39 | His father, A. Willis Robertson, was a Democratic Senator for Lexington, and a lawyer. His mother, Gladys Churchill Robertson, did everything from a housewife to a musician. |
| 40 | In 1943, when Robertson was only 13, his father talked him into working, in addition to doing all the chores and cooking for his family. |
| 41 | His talk show The 700 Club (1966) is modeled after The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), welcoming and entertaining. |
| 42 | Founder of Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, in 1978, a non-profit relief and development organization with a mission statement "to demonstrate God's love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world". |
| 43 | As a teenager, he got into boxing to lose weight. |
| 44 | Every Friday afternoon when Robertson left school, he checked out these Space In Adventure books from the library. |
| 45 | Had a partial knee replacement. [7 May 2007]. |
| 46 | Was influenced by Jimmy Swaggart, which led him to create a cable network of his own. |
| 47 | After a successful "700 Club" telethon, Robertson added a broadcast daily with a format of prayer and ministry with telephone response, the beginnings of the program now known as The 700 Club (1966). |
| 48 | When the offices of CBN Headquarters was born, Billy Graham, was the first of the many people to attend the day of Robertson's grand opening business. |
| 49 | Before he was a successful televangelist and television host, he was sent to work on a large farm owned by distant relatives near Orange, Virginia. Robertson was paid $15 a month, plus room and board. |
| 50 | Attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he majored in History, in 1946, at only 16 years of age. |
| 51 | Before he was a successful televangelist and television personality, during the summers, he worked with the Forest Service Timber Crew in Montana, as a ranch hand in Wyoming and as a filling station attendant in Yellowstone Park. |
| 52 | His mother became a mentor to him, than his father. |
| 53 | His brother, Ablasom Robertson Jr., was a stockbroker. |
| 54 | Plans not to retire as host of The 700 Club (1966). |
| 55 | Before Jim Bakker and his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker had founded their own ministry The PTL Club (1974), in Charlotte, North Carolina, in their young careers, they both worked with Robertson on The 700 Club (1966), in Virginia Beach, Virginia. |
| 56 | Carcinoma ran in his family. |
| 57 | Grandfather of: Abby, Christy, Lauren, Laura, Megan, Ray, Patrick, Catherine, Emily, Charlie, Evelyn, Willis and Cally. |
| 58 | In 1932, when Robertson was only 2, his father was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served for 14 years. In the House, he was a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee where he was a principle author of the "pay as you go" taxation plan which still yields a harvest of payroll deductions for the Federal government each month. |
| 59 | Less than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina killed 1,836 people, in August 2005, Robertson implied on the September 12th broadcast of The 700 Club (1966) that the storm was God's punishment in response to America's abortion policy. He suggested that September 11 and the disaster in New Orleans "could... be connected in some way". |
| 60 | Mentor and friends of Sheila Walsh and Terry Meeuwsen. |
| 61 | His son, Gordon Robertson, was named after him. |
| 62 | An avid radio listener. |
| 63 | In 1956, upon attending dinner at a hotel, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he met Cornelius Vanderbreggen, a Dutch missionary leader, whom the 26-year-old Robertson asked to accept Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. Vanderbreggen was also a good friend of Robertson's mother. |
| 64 | He is close friends with Louise DuArt and Gavin MacLeod. |
| 65 | His wife, Dede Elmer Robertson, is from Columbus, Ohio, who in turn had also been a fashion model and beauty queen, and was a runner-up to Jean Peters in the Miss Ohio State Contest. |
| 66 | He appeared with popular evangelical and charismatic leaders Bill Bright, D. James Kennedy, James Robison, Jim Bakker, Rex Humbard, Robert H. Schuller, Pat Boone, Nicky Cruz, David du Plessis, Demos Shakarian, and Thomas Zimmerman (Assemblies of God) at the Washington for Jesus Rally in Washington, D.C. Joining them was independent Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell. [29 April 1980]. |
| 67 | In 1946, when Robertson was 16, his father was elected to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the aging Carter Glass, and there he served for 20 years, becoming one of the handful of senior conservative southern Democrats who controlled much of the business of the United States Senate. |
| 68 | Had underwent successful open heart surgery. [July 2000]. |
| 69 | In 1982, he served on President Ronald Reagan's Task Force on Victims of Crime. |
| 70 | Before his own show The 700 Club (1966) would premiere, CBN holds its first telethon asking 700 viewers to join the "700 Club" by pledging $10 per month. The ministry needed $7,000 per month to meet expenses. |
| 71 | Future Christian popular singers Michele Pillar and Michael O'Brien were childhood television heroes of Robertson's. |
| 72 | Met his future wife, Dede Elmer Robertson, while attending Yale University. |
| 73 | Of British ancestry. |
| 74 | Preaching ran in his family. |
| 75 | Was born to a Baptist family. |
| 76 | Father of Tim, Gordon, Elizabeth and Anne. |
| 77 | Since 1961, he resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia. |
| 78 | Became an ordained minister at age 31. |
| 79 | Is a best selling author of over 20 books. |
| 80 | Left New York City to move to Tidewater, Virginia, where he planned to buy a bankrupt UHF television station in Portsmouth. Arriving with only $70 in his pocket, Robertson proceeded to raise the finances to purchase the station. CBN was formed January 11, 1960, and on October 1, 1961, CBN went on the air for the first time. |
| 81 | He and the rest of his supporters celebrated the 25th Anniversary of CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network), among the people who attended was: Jim Bakker, Gavin MacLeod and Dr. Adrian Rogers, who was the keynote speaker, who in turn, served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. [2 October 1986]. |
| 82 | Had celebrated his 85th birthday with his friends and family in Washington, D.C. Both fellow evangelists, Billy Graham and Robert H. Schuller weren't present at the party, of course, due to their failing healths, just 1 week before Schuller's death. [22 March 2015]. |
| 83 | Had grown up on a farm in Lexington, Virginia. |
| 84 | Lifelong friend of Billy Graham, Robert H. Schuller and Oral Roberts. |
| 85 | His older brother, Absalom Willis "Tad" Robertson Jr., died on April 20, 2002, at age 78. |
| 86 | His mother, Gladys Churchhill Willis Robertson, died in 1968, at age 71. |
| 87 | Best known by the public as the host of The 700 Club (1966). |
| 88 | Is a staunch Republican. |
| 89 | Friends with: Billy Graham, Robert H. Schuller, George Beverly Shea, Oral Roberts, Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye Bakker, D. James Kennedy, Rex Humbard, Jimmy Swaggart, Kenneth Copeland, Charles Stanley, Charles Swindoll, James Dobson, James Robison, Jack Van Impe, Joyce Meyer, Marilyn Hickey, Morris Cerullo, Ben Kinchlow, Bill Bright, John Osteen, Jesse Duplantis, Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Donald Trump, Shirley Jones, Ronald Reagan, Phil McGraw, Mickey Rooney, Charles Colson, Pat Boone, Gavin MacLeod, Chuck Norris and Della Reese. |
| 90 | Suggested the World would End on April 29th, 2007 in his 1990 book "The New Millenium". |
| 91 | Release of his book, "The Ten Offenses". [2004] |
| 92 | Release of the book, "Pat Robertson: An American Life" by David John Marley. [2007] |
| 93 | Release of his book, "Six Steps to Spiritual Revival". [2002] |
| 94 | Release of his book, "Go Get It". [June 2009] |
| 95 | Release of his book, "Right on the Money: Financial Advice for Tough Times". [2009] |
| 96 | Founder of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a Religious Right organization which was created as a counterweight to the American Civil Liberties Union. |
| 97 | Claims to be able to leg-press 1,800 pounds. |
| 98 | Underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer. [10 February 2003]. |
| 99 | Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1948. Graduated from Washington and Lee in 1950 and was commissioned at the same time. Served in the rank of 2nd Lieutenant as the assistant adjutant of the First Marine Division in Korea. He was later promoted to first lieutenant in 1952, upon his return to the United States. |
| 100 | Caused a scandal in 2003 when a guest on his show who wrote a book claiming that the US State Department was a "nest of subversives" said that the only way to clean it out was to drop an atomic bomb on it. Robertson said, "I completely agree with you". Later on he said that he didn't mean it. |
| 101 | Caused a firestorm of controversy in 2005 when he called for the US government to assassinate Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, a frequent critic of the policies of the Republican administration of President George W. Bush, of whom Robertson was a fervent supporter. Robertson at first denied having said it and claimed it was a "liberal media" plot to discredit him, but when footage was aired showing that he indeed did advocate Chavez's assassination, he said that he didn't mean it. |
| 102 | He is the great-grandson of former U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, who himself was the grandson of former President William Henry Harrison. |
| 103 | Involved in a scandal in which he used donations from Operation Blessing to fund his diamond mine in Zaire. Each of the pilots of Operation Blessing have attested to this. |
| 104 | Son of U.S. Senator A. Willis Robertson of Virginia |
| 105 | Was the original owner of the "Family Channel", which was bought in '98 then renamed the "Fox Family Channel", which was bought in '01 and renamed "Abc Family". |
| 106 | Claimed that the portion of the U.S. Constitution that pertains to the separation of church and state was not in the original Constitution and was forged onto it by a Communist spy sent to Washington, DC, by the Russians in the late 1920s. According to Robertson, the original framers of the Constitution were told by God that the United States was to be governed by a coalition of ministers, businessmen and property owners, and that the words "democracy" and "republic" are nowhere to be found in the original U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. [1996] |
| 107 | Referred to one of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign members as a "vicious bigot" against Christian conservatives. [2000] |
| 108 | Unsuccessfully campaigned for the U.S. Republican presidential nomination in 1988. Took over hosting duties of The 700 Club (1966), a religious talk show, in 1972, when then host Jim Bakker left to start The P.T.L. Club (1976). His son, Tim Robertson, took over the host role in 1988 while he campaigned. |
| 109 | Founder of the Christian Coalition. Staple figure of the Religious Right. |
