As a 10-year-old recovering from a year-long bout with hepatitis that made him bedridden, Pamplin began training in the Charles Atlas weightlifting method to regain his strength.

In high school, he became an AAU Olympic Lifts weightlifting champion which led to a lifelong commitment to fitness.

[9] After graduating from Lincoln High School in Portland, Pamplin studied at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, ultimately transferring to Lewis and Clark College in 1962 to complete his undergraduate training.

[22] By the end of the 2023, the company's pension fund held 52% of its assets in real estate, which is five times the maximum the U.S. Department of Labor allows.

[23] On Dec. 13, 2023, Pacific Fence and Wire Company filed a lawsuit alleging that Ross Island Sand & Gravel and Robert Pamplin Jr. failed to pay a $153,000 bill.

[24] After receiving his master's degrees, Pamplin began teaching as a lecturer at Lewis & Clark College and went on to become a tenured business professor at the University of Portland.

[36] The island contains considerable natural habitat, but also contains industrial waste and toxic fill dirt and is listed for cleanup by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

[37] The portions donated to the city, however, are thought to be pristine and contain habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including bald eagles.

On December 26, 2024, in response to an investigation by the Willamette Week and later by the U.S. Department of Labor, he admitted that he sold overvalued company real estate to the pension fund.