Molly C. Robinson *00

While undergoing cancer treatment, Molly died from an unexpected infection, March 17, 2026, in Portland, Ore. She was 56.

Born Oct. 1, 1970, in San Diego, Molly began college as a science major at the University of Minnesota, then moved to Belgium, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages at the Catholic University of Louvain in 1994. At Princeton, Molly earned a Ph.D. in Romance languages and literature in 2000. Her specialization was medieval French literature. Her dissertation, “Old French Traditions of Place and Belonging: Roland, Alexis, and Tristan” was written under the guidance of Karl Uitti.

After holding teaching positions at Bryn Mawr and the University of Alabama, in 2004 Molly joined the faculty of Lewis & Clark College. She taught courses in French literature and was director of the teaching excellence program. As part of the Lewis & Clark’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, Molly taught a course, Cry of Freedom: Reflections in World Literature of the Longing to be Free, to incarcerated individuals at the Columbia River Correctional Institution.

Molly is survived by her husband, Joel Pompije; her children, Atticus and Miriam, and their father, Gordon; her parents, Margie and Steve; and her siblings, Joe and Meg.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.