Supercentenarian Profile

Joan Robertson

Born:

1916-01-27

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

United States

Current Residence:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

United States

Joan Cora Robertson is an American supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Joan Robertson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, on 27 January 1916. Her parents were Allan John Roberts (1882–1947) and Annett West Jacobi (1883–1986). She had two older siblings: Roberta (born 1910) and Allan John (1913–1968). Her mother was reportedly an outspoken pacifist and suffragette who devoted her life to promoting world peace and diplomacy, remaining active in these efforts until her death at the age of 102. She is also said to have marched alongside Jane Addams. In contrast, although her mother was deeply engaged in social movements, her father was a very conservative man who generally disapproved of her involvement.

On 5 February 1945, she married Alfonso Derious Robertson (1916–2009). The couple had five children.

Robertson has been a lifelong philanthropist and activist dedicated to peace, women’s rights, and education. She is a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and the founder of the Annette J. Roberts & Joan R. Robertson Fund for World Peace, World Law & Peace Education. The fund supports initiatives such as the United Nations Schools of International Learning within Milwaukee Public Schools, the Peace Learning Center of Milwaukee, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Urban Ecology Center.

In addition to her philanthropic work, Robertson has been an active member of the United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee and a supporter of civic and environmental education.

In November 2024, the Rotary Clubs of Southeastern Wisconsin awarded their second annual Agent of Peace Award for Decades of Peace Advocacy and Education to Joan Robertson, a long-standing member and financial supporter of WILPF US.