Robert Koshland was a community leader, a hospital and welfare planner, and a member of one of the Bay Area’s most prominent families. Born in San Francisco, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914, and after serving in World War II, he began a career as a businessman with J. Koshland & Co. in Boston. Following his return to the Bay, he became involved in social welfare and hospital planning organizations, serving as the president of the Peninsula Hospital District, the Bay Area Health Facilities Planning Commission, and the Bay Area Welfare Planning Association, among others. He was also active in many organizations for the Bay Area Jewish community, including the Federation of Jewish Charities and the Jewish Welfare Fund. In this interview, Koshland discusses his childhood and education, building the Peninsula Hospital, the Jewish community and identity, and his personal philosophies. This interview is part of a group of interviews documenting Jewish communities in California.