Madchenbildnis (Portrait of a Girl)

Property from the Estate of Robert Darwin sold to benefit California State University, Monterey Bay
Robert Darwin (1926 – 2023) lived an extraordinary life, captured in his two memoirs entitled, Hard On Hollywood and Fragments. He was a screenwriter, an actor, a filmmaker, author, pilot, investor and an art collector. Born into an immigrant family, his father Ukranian and his mother Austrian, Darwin grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 1944, Darwin left home to serve in WWII as a Naval electronic technician, training at what is now the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. It was during this time that Darwin fell in love with the Monterey Peninsula and swore to one day return. Following the war, Darwin returned to New Jersey to attend Rutgers University, majoring in business and finance. However, instead of seeking a career in the financial sector, Darwin moved to Hollywood in 1952 to pursue screenwriting. He was quickly scouted and catapulted into a thrilling nine year acting career, appearing in Western movies and the Jack Benny Show, and whilst living in Paris, Darwin produced a full-length motion picture. But the glamour of Hollywood was not enough to distract Darwin from his love of the Monterey Peninsula. In 1967, Darwin and his business partner/ closest friend, S. John Hernstadt, bought a Carmel Valley Ranch, and started a thoroughbred horse breeding farm, along with many other business ventures.

Robert Darwin believed in the American Dream and the transformative power of education, and with his passing in April 2023, he left the largest single gift in the history of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). He has donated his entire multimillion dollar estate, including proceeds from these auctions, for scholarships to the University. Darwin, having grown up as the product of immigrant parents, wanted students of a similar background to succeed in life as he had and he deeply believed that access to higher education would provide the best path to achieve this goal. In June 2023, the university awarded Robert Darwin an Honorary Doctorate Degree (L.H.D.) for his generous support and dedication to improving student opportunity.