CLINTON – In recognition of his tireless efforts on behalf of outdoorsmen and his work in the outdoors communication field, the South Carolina Outdoor Press (SCOPe) honored long-time outdoors writer Pat Robertson at the organization’s annual fall conference in mid-November.
Robertson, a columnist and contributor to South Carolina Sportsman since its debut four years ago, was awarded the SCOPe Gene Smith Lifetime Achievement Award and the SCOPe Service Award, which was also renamed “The Pat Robertson Service Award.”
A native South Carolinian, Robertson has spent more than 50 years in journalism and has had a love affair with the outdoors and with outdoors writing for most of his life. Many of today’s sportsmen and sportswomen grew up reading Robertson’s columns and articles in various newspapers and magazines.
Robertson’s journalism career began in 1959 as a free-lance contributor to The State. In 1960, he joined The State as a reporter, and later worked as a writer-editor for The Newberry Observer (1961), city editor of The Evening Herald in Rock Hill, S.C. (1962-64), Piedmont bureau chief for The State in Rock Hill (1964-67), state news editor for The State (1967-69) and city editor of The Columbia Record (1969-73).
From 1973 to 1977, Robertson was worked at the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, where he was a regular contributor to the award-winning South Carolina Wildlife magazine and was the creating editor of The Resource, a monthly newspaper for hunting and fishing license holders.
Robertson became the outdoors writer for the Columbia Record in 1977, and he filled the same position with The State newspaper from 1983 until Jan. 1, 2001. In 2001, he became a full-time freelance outdoors writer.
A 1961 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a batchelor’s degree in journalism, Robertson has won numerous state, regional and national awards for his writing. He serves on the South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Foundation Board, and is a former member of the Outdoor Journalist Education Foundation of America Board.
Robertson has been honored by numerous organizations. Awards include: Conservation Communicator of the Year, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, 1978; Meritorious Service Award, South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Commission, 1982; Harry R. E. Hampton Woods and Waters Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Reporting, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, 1982; Journalist of Year, Midlands Chapter S.C. Wildlife Federation, 1983; Shriners Sportsman of Year, Great Falls Shrine Club, 1985; Sportsman of Year, U.S. Complete Shooting Dog Association, 1987; Who’s Who U.S. Writers, Editors and Poets, 1988-; and South Carolina Waterfowl Association Journalist of Year, 1989.
In accepting the award, Robertson delivered a call to action.
“It is crucial for outdoors men and women to know what’s going on in the outdoors and in the politics that influence our outdoors rights,” he said. “It is not just our job but our responsibility to be involved in what happens in South Carolina and the nation. And so, too, is service, which is also crucial to our profession. Specifically, we must lead and encourage young writers to pursue their passion for sharing the outdoors with the public. We must encourage all sportsmen and women to publicly support their right to pursue their endeavors and to keep abreast of what’s happening in the political arena of our state.
“We also must encourage those who are the future to adhere to high ethical standards and the overriding service of stewardship to the outdoor public.”
An avid hunter and fisherman, he has judged more than 50 AKC-licensed beagle field trials and was the founding president of the S.C. Beagle Championship. He currently serves as president of the Savannah River Valley Beagle Club in Edgefield.
Robertson and his wife, Jan, live in Blythewood, S.C., where they collect wildlife and sporting art and participate in beagle field trials together.
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