Melville, also known as Bobby Robinson, was born in Ontario and had many contributions to the sport of track and field.

As a builder, Bobby was known in Athletics circles for getting things done. He was a sports editor at the Hamilton Spectator from 1908 to 1931 – and came up with the idea of having a track and field competition that involved athletes from nations within the British Empire. This led to Bobby founding the British Empire Games – now known as the Commonwealth Games – that were first held in Hamilton in 1930. Bobby went on to manage the 1934 team.

Bobby played an active role in the creation of the Hamilton Olympic Club, becoming the first Club President in 1926. He was the manager of the 1928 (Amsterdam) and 1936 (Berlin, Germany) Olympic Games teams – and paved the way for Phil Edwards, aka Mr. Bronze, to compete for Canada.

In 1920, Bobby was elected to the Hamilton Board of Education where he helped promote the city as a leading centre for track and field in Canada. Robinson was appointed to the Burlington High School Board in 1940 and served as Chairman from 1953 to 1963. At his retirement, the town named a new school as the M.M. “Bobby” Robinson High School. Bobby also played an active role in the creation of the Canadian Legion, a non-profit Canadian veterans’ organization.