J. Robert Elliott ’53

Robert, a respected and admired leader in the music industry who was national sales manager of Disneyland/Buena Vista Records and later set high standards as chief of A&M Records in Hollywood, died May 18, 2014, at his home in Santa Clarita, Calif. He was 82.

Born in Kansas City, Mo., he was educated at the McCallie School. Because of his outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements, Robert was urged to apply to Princeton by schoolmaster William L. Pressly ’31. On campus, he took his meals at Elm Club, which claimed energetic members like Joe Atwater, Jackson Moore, and Marc Quinn. He joined the pre-med society, but majored in art and architecture and graduated magna cum laude.

Robert studied briefly at Emory Medical School before moving to California, where he attended Stanford’s business school. In 1960, he married the “love of his life,” Delores Anderson.

Herb Alpert of Tijuana Brass fame recruited him as head of sales for the newly created pre-recorded tape sales division at A&M Records. In 1977, he wrote, directed, and produced Halloween Horrors, the best-selling Halloween album of all time. Robert also joined and helped lead numerous genealogical societies.

In addition to Delores, he leaves behind sons James B. II and John, and five grandchildren.