Robert Abernethy

Abernethy’s parents were professors at Davidson College. His mother, Helen, was an artist and taught Art History. His father, George, taught philosophy. Abernethy has one younger sister, Jean Helen Poston.

Abernethy is a Trustee Emeritus of Johns Hopkins University, where he serves on Advisory Boards for the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), SAIS Europe, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights. Since 1993, Abernethy has served on Davidson College's Board of Visitors.

He is a member of the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, the Chairman's Forum of the Council on Foreign Relations, the California Committee South of Human Rights Watch, and the Synergos Global Philanthropists Circle. He was a Director of TechNet and the Pacific Council on International Policy. From 1986 to 2000, Abernethy was Chairman of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions.

Abernethy served as a Commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Planning and Zoning Commission from 1984-1988, a Director of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors from 1988-1993, a Commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Telecommunications Commission from 1992-1993, a Director of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority from 1995-1998, a Commissioner of the California Transportation Commission from 1999-2000, a member of the California State Board of Education from 2000-2004, and a member of the California Arts Council from 2001-2004.

Abernethy formerly served as a Trustee of Davidson College and Johns Hopkins University, where he sat on the Advisory Board of the Peabody Institute and the Center for Talented Youth. From 1980 to 1990, Abernethy served as Chairman of the Harvard Business School Scholarship Trust.

Abernethy is Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Music Center. He serves as a Director of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and of the William H. Parker Los Angeles Police Foundation. Since 1978, Abernethy has sat on the Board of Managers of the Westchester Family YMCA. Previously, he was a Director of the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

After Harvard Business School, Abernethy worked for the Hughes Aircraft Company (from 1972 to 1974), which promoted him to Controller for the Technology Division. Prior to his promotion, he worked on developmental aerospace projects such as the AIM-54 Phoenix Missile Program and the Iroquois Night Fighter & Night Tracker Program. In 1974, Abernethy left Hughes Aircraft and started two companies, American Standard Development Company and Self Storage Management Company, the latter of which develops and manages industrial parks, incubators, and mini storage facilities throughout Southern California. Abernethy served as Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the National Self Storage Service Association from 1978-1986. He also served on Public Storage’s Board of Directors from 1980 to 2007. In 2009, Abernethy was inducted into the Self Storage Association's "Hall of Fame."

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana and raised in Davidson, North Carolina, Abernethy received a B.A. in Mathematics & Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1962. After serving in the Navy Supply Corps from 1963-1966, he graduated from Harvard Business School with an M.B.A. in 1968. During his time at Harvard Business School, Abernethy studied national security affairs under Henry Kissinger and Graham Allison, defense economics under Tom Schelling, and defense contracting under J. Ronald Fox. Abernethy went on to receive certificates in Construction Management and Real Estate from UCLA in 1973 and 1974.

Robert J. Abernethy (born February 28, 1940) is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Manhattan Beach, California. He is the founder and president of both American Standard Development Company and Self Storage Management Company.