| Robert Kibbee | |
| Birth Date: | 19 August 1921 |
| Birth Place: | Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | Fordham University (BA) University of Chicago (MA, PhD) |
| Employer: | City University of New York |
| Credits: | , which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by |
| Works: | , which produces label "Works"; or by |
| Label Name: | , which produces label "Label(s)" --> |
| Chancellor | |
| Father: | Guy Kibbee |
| Mother: | Helen Shay |
| Relatives: | Milton Kibbee (uncle), Lois Kibbee (cousin) |
Robert Joseph Kibbee (August 19, 1921 – June 16, 1982) was an American university administrator who was Chancellor of the City University of New York.
Kibbee was born on Staten Island, New York.[1] His father was Hollywood actor Guy Kibbee and his mother was Helen Shay Kibbee; his parents separated when he was a young boy.[2] [3] [4] He attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, New York, and earned a bachelor's degree at Fordham University in 1943.[1] [2] [4]
After serving in World War II in the Philippines from 1940 to 1945, Kibbee earned a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Chicago in 1947, and a doctorate there in 1957.[4] [1] [2] He was then administrative dean at Southern State College, and in 1955 became dean of students at Drake University.[5] [2] From 1958 to 1961 he worked for the University of Chicago as an educational advisor in Pakistan.[2] Kibbee then served as assistant to President John Warner and as vice president for planning and administration at Carnegie-Mellon University, and as President of the Pittsburgh Board of Education.[1] [2] [4]
Kibbee was Chancellor of the City University of New York, the third-largest university in the United States, from 1971 to 1982.[1] [6] [3] During that time CUNY transitioned to open admissions.[1]
He was married first to Katherine Kirk, and then in 1980 to Margaret Rockwitz.[3]
Kibbee had cranial surgery to remove a tumor, and died on June 16, 1982, two weeks before his scheduled retirement, at 60 years of age.[1] [2] [3] The library at Kingsborough Community College is named after him.[7]