Robert Haley earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and Finance from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He then served in the United States Army as a Commissioned Officer for three years. After his military service, he began his business career with International Business Machines in Baltimore, Maryland and made  advancements of increasing responsibilities in the marketing divisions for thirty years.

Upon retirement he assumed a position at the Georgia Institute of Technology as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Special projects for the next seventeen years and retired. During that time he founded the FOCUS Program that has positioned Georgia Tech as a leader for granting post-graduate degrees to African Americans. In 1988 he was the chair of the Cobb County Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Support Group and led the effort to secure proclamations from Cobb County and the City of Marietta governments to recognize the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday.

He served as treasurer, president, and chairman of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc., and during his tenure as president conceived and led the effort to start a single gender all-male school, grades 6 – 12, the B.E.S.T Academy, (Business, Engineering, Science, Technology).

He has served on boards in Cobb County, the City of Atlanta, post-secondary faculty, and student organizations and is consistently recognized for his accomplishments. He and his wife Paula have been married for thirty-one years and are members of Cascade United Methodist Church.