Robert Fay Rockwell (February 11, 1886 – September 29, 1950) was a U.S. Representative from Colorado for four terms from 1941 to 1949. He served in the Colorado Senate and House of Representatives. He was also Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. He was a cattle rancher in western Colorado.[1]
Robert F. Rockwell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) From 1980's Presidents And Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly: A Biographical Portrait from 1876. | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 4th district | |
| In office December 9, 1941 – January 3, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Edward T. Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Wayne Aspinall |
| Lieutenant Governor of Colorado | |
| In office 1923–1925 | |
| Governor | William Ellery Sweet |
| Preceded by | Earl Cooley |
| Succeeded by | Sterling Byrd Lacy |
| Member of the Colorado Senate from the 11th District | |
| In office 1938–1941 | |
| Preceded by | E. Clair Hotchkiss |
| Succeeded by | Charles E. Blaine |
| In office 1921–1923 | |
| Preceded by | John F. Pearson |
| Succeeded by | J. E. Moore |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from Delta County | |
| In office 1915–1921 | |
| Preceded by | George W. Bruce |
| Succeeded by | Thomas R. Blackwell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Fay Rockwell February 11, 1886 Cortland, New York |
| Died | September 29, 1950 (aged 64) Maher, Colorado |
| Resting place | Hornell Cemetery, Hornell, New York |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Princeton University (attended) |
| Occupation | Cattle rancher, politician |
Early life and education
editBorn in Cortland, New York, he was the son of Lemuel Wilson and Elizabeth (Smith) Rockwell.[2][3] Rockwell attended the public schools of Hornell, New York and was a 1905 graduate of The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.[3] He attended Princeton University from 1905 to 1906.[1][4]
Career
editHe moved to Paonia, Colorado, in 1907 and engaged in cattle raising and fruit growing.[1]
He served as member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1917 to 1921. He served in the state senate from 1921 to 1923. He served as lieutenant governor from 1923 to 1925.[1] In 1924, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, losing to Clarence Morley,[5] who went on to win the general election.[6] Rockwell was the Republican nominee for governor in 1930, and lost to incumbent Billy Adams.[7] He served as member of the State board of agriculture from 1932 to 1946.[1] Rockwell was again a member of the state senate from 1938 to 1941.
Rockwell was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Edward T. Taylor. He was reelected to the Seventy-eighth, Seventy-ninth, and Eightieth Congresses and served from December 9, 1941, to January 3, 1949. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1948 to the Eighty-first Congress.[1] After leaving Congress, Rockwell resumed cattle ranching in Colorado. He served as chairman of the board of directors of Tuttle & Rockwell Co., Hornell, New York, and Rockwell Co., Corning, New York.[1]
He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was also a Mason and a member of the Paonia Rotary Club.[2]
Personal life
editHe married Aileen Miller on June 24, 1908[2] and had two sons, Robert F. Rockwell Jr. and Wilson M. Rockwell.[8] He had a home in Miami, Florida and a ranch in Colorado.[2] Aileen died at their home in Miami on March 5, 1938. He married Elizabeth Armstrong on November 23, 1948.[2]
Death and burial
editHe died unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in Maher, Colorado on September 29, 1950.[9] He was interred in Hornell Cemetery, Hornell, New York.[1]
Electoral results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert F. Rockwell | 19,918 | 54.04 | |||
| Democratic | Frank Delaney | 16,941 | 45.96 | |||
| Total votes | 36,859 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert F. Rockwell (Incumbent) | 28,460 | 58.75 | |
| Democratic | Elizabeth E. Pellet | 19,979 | 41.25 | |
| Total votes | 48,439 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert F. Rockwell (Incumbent) | 38,671 | 61.67 | |
| Democratic | John L. Heuschkel | 24,039 | 38.33 | |
| Total votes | 62,710 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert F. Rockwell (Incumbent) | 28,894 | 58.75 | |
| Democratic | Thomas Matthews | 20,290 | 41.25 | |
| Total votes | 49,184 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wayne Aspinall | 34,695 | 51.86 | |||
| Republican | Robert F. Rockwell (Incumbent) | 32,206 | 48.14 | |||
| Total votes | 66,901 | 100.0 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Biography, Robert Fay Rockwell". History.house.gov. Washington, DC: United States House of Representatives. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Obituary for Robert F. Rockwell". The Daily Sentinel. September 29, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Hafen, LeRoy Reuben (1948). Colorado and Its People: A Narrative and Topical History of the Centennial State. Vol. 4. New York, NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 734.
- ^ "Biographical Note, Robert Fay Rockwell". Robert Rockwell Papers. Boulder, CO: University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ "Morley and Means Leading for Governor and Senator". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, CO. September 10, 1924. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Republican Majorities are Growing". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, CO. Associated Press. November 5, 1924. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rockwell Sends Congratulations to Gov. Adams". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Fort Collins, CO. Associated Press. November 5, 1930. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Obituary for Rockwell". Elmira Advertiser. September 30, 1950. p. 11. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ "Robert F. Rockwell, Former Congressman of Fourth District Dies Suddenly Thursday". The Daily Sentinel. September 29, 1950. p. 1. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - CO District 4 - Special Election Race - Dec 09, 1941". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- ^ "1942 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
- ^ "1944 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
- ^ "1946 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
- ^ "1948 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.