Charles Henry Robb

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Charles Henry Robb

|image = Charles H. Robb.jpg

|alt =

|caption =

|office = Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

|term_start = November 15, 1937

|term_end = June 10, 1939

|office1 = Associate Justice of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

|term_start1 = October 5, 1906

|term_end1 = November 15, 1937

|appointer1 = Theodore Roosevelt

|predecessor1 = Charles Holland Duell

|successor1 = Fred M. Vinson

|office3 = State's Attorney of Windham County, Vermont

|term_start3 = 1896

|term_end3 = 1899

|predecessor3 = Clarke C. Fitts

|successor3 = Herbert G. Barber

|birth_name = Charles Henry Robb

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1867|11|14}}

|birth_place = Malone, New York, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1939|06|10|1867|11|14}}

|death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.

|resting_place =

|party = Republican

|spouse = {{marriage|Nettie M. George|1897}}

|children = 2, including Roger Robb

|occupation = Attorney

}}

Charles Henry Robb (November 14, 1867 – June 10, 1939) was an American lawyer from Vermont and Washington, DC. He was most notable for his service as an Associate Justice of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

A native of Malone, New York. Robb grew up in Lincoln, Rhode Island, Troy, New York, New York and Guilford, Vermont, and graduated from West Brattleboro, Vermont's Glenwood Seminary in 1886. He studied law, attained admission to the bar, and began to practice in Bellows Falls, Vermont, in 1892. A Republican, he served as Windham County, Vermont State's Attorney for three years (1896-1899). Robb was a United States Assistant Attorney General in the United States Post Office Department from 1903 to 1904.

In 1906, Robb was appointed an associate justice of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia (now the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit). He served until assuming senior status in 1937. Robb died in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 1939.

Education and career

File:Charles H. Robb (United States federal judge).jpg

Robb's original family name was spelled "Robideau", "Robadeau" and "Rubadeau".{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |title=1880 United States Federal Census, Guilford, Vermont, Entry for Isaac Robadeau Family |date=June 2, 1880 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com LLC |location=Lehi, UT |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 23, 2019}} He was born in Malone, New York, the son of Isaac M. Robb and Clara Slater Matthews.Vermont Vital Records, 1720-1908, Marriage Record for Charles H, Robb and Nettie M. George, retrieved July 5, 2014 He was raised in Lincoln, Rhode Island, Troy, New York, New York and Guilford, Vermont.{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |title=Rhode Island State Census, 1875, Entry for Isaac M. Robb Family |date=June 1, 1875 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com LLC |location=Lehi, UT |access-date=October 23, 2019 |url-access=subscription}} Robb attended Brattleboro, Vermont's Brattleboro High School and graduated from West Brattleboro's Glenwood Seminary in 1886.{{cite news |date=June 27, 1896 |title=Some of the Candidates: Charles H. Robb |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109930533/candidates/ |work=Bellows Falls Times |location=Bellows Falls, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} He began studies for the entrance examination to attend the United States Military Academy, but decided to study law instead. He studied with the firm of Kittredge Haskins and Edgar W. Stoddard,{{cite journal |date= February 1, 1905|title=Biography: Charles H. Robb |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y8VBAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Charles+H+Robb%22+%22bellows+falls%22&pg=RA1-PA214 |journal= The Vermonter |publisher= Charles S. Forbes |location= St. Albans, Vermont|page=214}} was admitted to the bar in 1892, and practiced in Bellows Falls from 1894 to 1902.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GuYLAAAAIAAJ&q=%22robb%2C+charles+henry%22+vermont&pg=PA1593|title=Who's who in America|first1=John William|last1=Leonard|first2=Albert Nelson|last2=Marquis|date=30 March 2019|publisher=Marquis Who's Who|via=Google Books|page=1593}} A Republican, from 1896 to 1899 he served as State's Attorney of Windham County.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgcrAAAAYAAJ&q=%22c+h+robb%22+state%27s+attorney&pg=PA37|title=Report of the Auditor of Accounts|first=Vermont Auditor of|last=Accounts|date=30 March 1898|publisher=The Auditor|via=Google Books|page=37}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FidOAAAAYAAJ&q=%22c+h+robb%22+state%27s+attorney&pg=PA19|title=State Officers' Reports for ...|last=Vermont|date=30 March 2019|publisher=The State|via=Google Books|page=19}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-uIZAAAAYAAJ&q=%22charles+h+robb%22+state%27s+attorney&pg=PA619|title=The Washington Law Reporter|date=30 March 2019|publisher=Powell & Ginck|via=Google Books|page=619}} He then served as an attorney for the Internal Revenue Service.Boston Globe, [https://www.proquest.com/docview/499473908 Charles H. Robb Appointed], April 12, 1901, via Wayback Machine While practicing law in Vermont, Robb was also involved in business and banking, and was an incorporator and officer of the Bellows Falls Trust Company.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ULmlDG8KLjYC |title=History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont|year=1907|first=Lyman Simpson|last=Hayes|publisher=The Town|via=Internet Archive|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ULmlDG8KLjYC/page/n511 446]}} He was also active in both the Vermont and American Bar Associations.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4Q8AAAAIAAJ&q=%22charles+h.+robb%22+%22bellows+falls%22&pg=PA186|title=Annual Report of the American Bar Association: Including Proceedings of the ... Annual Meeting|first=American Bar|last=Association|date=30 March 2019|publisher=Headquarters Office|via=Google Books|page=186}} From 1903 to 1904, Robb was a United States Assistant Attorney General in the United States Post Office Department, where he investigated wrongdoing and prosecuted corrupt officials.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oGcvAQAAMAAJ&q=%22charles+h+robb%22&pg=PA20|title=The Law Student's Helper: A Monthly Magazine for the Student in and Out of Law School|first1=William Cyrus|last1=Sprague|first2=Griffith Ogden|last2=Ellis|first3=Clarence B.|last3=Kelland|first4=Walter K.|last4=Towers|first5=Frederick R.|last5=Austin|date=30 March 2019|publisher=Collector Publishing Company|via=Google Books|page=20}}Boston Globe, [https://www.proquest.com/docview/500119616 What is Wrong: Report on New York Post Office; Irregularities in Conduct to be Corrected], May 13, 1904, via Wayback Machine Robb served as an assistant to the United States Attorney General from 1904 to 1906.{{cite web|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1904/03/13/101388560.pdf|title=Charles H. Robb Succeeds Hoyt|work=The New York Times|date=March 13, 1904}}

Federal judicial service

Robb received a recess appointment from President Theodore Roosevelt on October 5, 1906, to an Associate Justice seat on the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia (now the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit) which had been vacated by Charles Holland Duell.{{FJC Bio|2021|nid=1386991|name=Charles Henry Robb}} He was nominated to the same position by President Roosevelt on December 3, 1906. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 11, 1906, and received his commission the same day. He assumed senior status on November 15, 1937. His service terminated on June 10, 1939, due to his death in Washington, D.C.Baltimore Sun, [https://www.proquest.com/docview/537254103 C. H. Robb Made Justice], October 6, 1906, via Wayback MachineBoston Globe, [https://www.proquest.com/docview/500633241 He is A Vermonter: C. H. Robb is Promoted by the President; Appointed Justice of District of Columbia Appeals Court], October 6, 1906, via Wayback Machine{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/11/06/archives/robb-will-retire-from-bench-at-70-district-of-columbia-appeals.html|title=Robb Will Retire from Bench at 70; District of Columbia Appeals Justice to Avail Himself of Full Pay Provision|newspaper=The New York Times |date=6 November 1937|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ShZPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6264,2713616&dq=charles-h-robb&hl=en|title=Federal Judge Robb will Retire November 15|publisher=Associated Press, The Bend (Oregon) Bulletin|via=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|date=November 5, 1937}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1939/06/11/archives/justice-ch-robb-dies-in-washington-spent-31-years-on-us-appeals.html|title=Justice C. H. Robb Dies in Washington; Spent 31 Years on U.S. Appeals Bench in District of Columbia|newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 June 1939|publisher=}}

=Other service=

While serving on the bench Robb was also a member of the faculty at the National University Law School (now George Washington University Law School).{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americanlawscho00unkngoog|title=American Law School Review|year=1922|publisher=West Publishing Company|via=Internet Archive|page=[https://archive.org/details/americanlawscho00unkngoog/page/n60 51]}} In 1926, National University awarded Robb the honorary degree of LL.D.{{cite news |date=June 6, 1926 |title=National to Give Three LL.D. Degrees |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74173538/lld-degrees/ |work=The Sunday Star |location=Washington, DC |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Family

In 1897, Robb married Nettie M. George, the daughter of Dr. Ozias M. George of Bellows Falls.{{cite book |last=Hayes |first=Lyman Simpson |date=1907 |title=History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ULmlDG8KLjYC |location=Lynn, MA |publisher=Frank S. Whitten |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ULmlDG8KLjYC/page/n743 662]}} His son Roger Robb also served as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MRVPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5566,5194430&dq=roger-robb+judge+father+charles&hl=en|title=Washington residents Took Bets on Pearson-Howser Libel Case|publisher=St. Petersburg Times|via=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|date=January 27, 1951}}{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-0UxAAAAIBAJ&pg=7501,3790940&dq=roger-robb+judge+father+charles&hl=en|title=Atty. Roger Robb -- Bails Out Republicans in Trouble|publisher=The Milwaukee Sentinel|via=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|date=June 18, 1958}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/09/11/archives/sketches-of-the-nine-judges-who-are-hearing-appeals-on-the.html|title=Sketches of the Nine Judges Who Are Hearing Appeals on the Watergate Tapes|newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 September 1973|publisher=}} His daughter Priscilla (October 20, 1914 – November 20, 2011) was the wife of airline pilot Elliot A. Billings (November 22, 1912 – November 7, 2011).{{cite news |date=November 25, 2011 |title=Obituary: Priscilla Robb Billings |url=http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20111125/OBITS02/111250333 |newspaper=Cape Cod Times |location=Hyannis, MA}} Robb was a member of the Episcopal Church.{{cite news |date=June 25, 1897 |title=Robb-George: A Beautiful Rose Wedding Wednesday Evening; Brilliant Reception |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109930571/george/ |newspaper=Vermont Phoenix |location=Brattleboro, VT |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}}