Robert S. Frazer Explained

Robert S. Frazer
Office:Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Termstart:1930
Termend:1936
Predecessor:Robert von Moschzisker
Successor:John W. Kephart
Office2:Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Termstart2:1915
Termend2:1930
Birth Date:18 September 1849
Birth Place:Fayette City, Pennsylvania
Death Place:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Spouse:Loretta Gilfillan
Alma Mater:Western University of Pennsylvania
Party:Republican

Robert Sellers Frazer (September 18, 1849 – July 31, 1936) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1915 to 1930 and chief justice from 1930 to 1936.

Biography

Robert S. Frazer was born on September 18, 1849, in Fayette City, Pennsylvania, to Caleb and Sarah Baker Frazer. Early in his childhood, he moved with his family to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He attended the Western University of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh and studied law. He served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Republican from 1877 to 1879 and entered private law practice until being elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in 1896. He was re-elected as judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1906 after becoming president judge on November 5, 1900.[1] [2]

Frazer served on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas until his election to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1914. He served as an associate justice from 1915 to 1930, before becoming chief justice in 1930, serving until 1936.[1] [3] He died on July 31, 1936, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[4]

Frazer held honorary LL.D. degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, Lafayette College and Temple University. He also served as president of the Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital, a position he held at the time of his death.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Eastman. Frank Marshall. Courts and Lawyers of Pennsylvania: A History, 1623-1923, Volume 4. 1922. American Historical Society. 2–3. 1 June 2016.
  2. Book: Herringshaw. Thomas William. Herringshaw's American Blue Book Of Biography. 1915. American Publishers' Association. 481. 1 June 2016.
  3. Web site: Sellers, Robert Frazer (born c. 1850). The Political Graveyard. 1 June 2016.
  4. News: Aged Jurist's Illness Fatal. 1 June 2016. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1 August 1936.