August 11, 2008 – The Marina City history project has uncovered another famous former resident. Max Robinson was the first African-American network news anchor in the U.S. Based in Chicago, he co-anchored World News Tonight from 1978 to 1983. He then worked at local station WMAQ-TV in 1984 and 1985.

Robinson lived at Marina City until shortly before his death of AIDS in 1988. He lived on the 50th floor in an apartment with a view of Wacker Drive and the Chicago River.

In 1990, actor/comedian Aaron Freeman wrote an article for Chicago Magazine, recalling his visit in May 1988 to Robinson’s “tiny” apartment. Wrote Freeman, “The 30-foot trip across the living room to the kitchen exhausted him.”

Reached by email, Freeman could not recall any further details, but did confirm Robinson once lived at Marina City.

 The Last Days of Max Robinson by Aaron Freeman

 Famous Marina City residents from City Within A City