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Family: Scholarships OK

• Ray Charles' children say their father would disagree with questions a foundation has about his monetary gifts to Albany State University.

Susan McCord

ALBANY — The wishes of Ray Charles’ children and the mother of his youngest, Corey, won’t sway the foundation that controls his assets from taking action over a $3 million gift Charles made to Albany State University.

A letter dated Monday and written on behalf of eight of Charles’ children by Mary Anne den Bok, a Los Angeles attorney and the mother of Charles’ son Ryan Corey Robinson, said Charles would never have asked ASU to return the money.

“Ray Charles would be outraged by (attorney Ivan Hoffman’s) threats to rescind the gifts he made, through his foundation, to Albany State University,” the letter said. “During his lifetime, as you well know, Ray Charles was an extremely private person, and tried to keep his personal and business affairs out of the press. The only purpose that your press release served was that of personal publicity.”

Hoffman last week issued a statement on behalf of Joe Adams, Charles’ manager for many years and director of the Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders, demanding to know why ASU spent $2 million of the donated money on scholarships and why the school had not constructed the Ray Charles Fine Arts Center.

In a 2002 interview with The Albany Herald after the spring graduation ceremonies, Charles stated that he had not specified how ASU was to spend the money he donated. “They’ll do the right thing,” he said. “That’s why I gave it to them.”

Den Bok’s letter contends Hoffman has no standing to represent the estate of Ray Charles because the estate was closed in May 2006.

“The Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders is the only entity which has the right to make any requests concerning Ray Charles’ bequests,” den Bok wrote.

Hoffman refused to comment Wednesday, but stated in an e-mail he was vice president for legal affairs and general counsel of Ray Charles Enterprises.

Adams’ publicist, Jerry Digney, said the foundation now controls all assets of Ray Charles Enterprises, as well as rights to Charles’ name and likeness, which were assigned to Ray Charles Enterprises “moons ago.”

Den Bok’s letter states she’s writing on behalf of Charles’ children Ray Charles Robinson, Jr., David Robinson, the Rev. Robert Robinson, Sheila Robinson, Raenee Robinson, Robyn Moffett, Vincent Kotchounian and Ryan Corey Robinson. She contends that under California law Charles’ children are the owners of their father’s name and likeness.

Her comments follow a series of legal actions against the foundation, including a recent demand for increased support for Ryan Corey Robinson, Digney said.

“She has filed actions ever since Ray Charles is deceased. She is the mother of one of his children and she also happens to be an attorney,” he said. “Why she’s even sticking her nose in it is beyond me.”

The Foundation continues to question why Albany State spent two-thirds of Charles’ gifts, made in 2001 and 2002 when ASU awarded the Albany native an honorary doctorate, on student scholarships and not a fine arts center.

The foundation was involved in early planning of the facility, but believes now that communications with ASU have fizzled, he said.

“It was pretty clear what the collective thinking and plan was,” he said.

No action has been filed, but the foundation hasn’t ruled it out.

“Could there be? Yeah,” Digney said. “It’s just come to a point where they want some resolution.”

Officials at Albany State say they believe a misunderstanding has placed the university in the middle of a conflict that prompted Charles’ children to speak out.

“They have decided to come forward to express their disappointment,” ASU spokeswoman Sophia Glover said of Adams’ and Hoffman’s decision to challenge ASU’s use of Charles’ donations.

“This just unveils that there may be some strife on their end and we’re simply caught in the middle.”

ASU officials have maintained that Charles never intended his contributions to be restricted to any use. The fine arts center would cost an estimated $23 million. Of the $3 million Charles donated to ASU, about $1 million remains in the bank and $2 million has been awarded to 125 Ray Charles Presidential Scholars, university officials have said.

“I’m very glad to hear that someone has come forward to represent Mr. Charles’ feelings surrounding our gift,” Glover said. “We very much want the Ray Charles building on our campus.”

On Friday, ASU President Everette Freeman issued a community “call to action” to raise funds and support construction of a fine arts building, for which ASU has sought Georgia Board of Regents funding since 1999, before Charles’ gift.

Donors have responded to the publicity generated by the foundation’s demands and sought to help the university move toward its goal, she said.

Charles’ donation is the largest gift the university has ever received.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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