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
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 byEdward T. Taylor
Succeeded byWayne Aspinall
Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
In office
1923–1925
GovernorWilliam Ellery Sweet
Preceded byEarl Cooley
Succeeded bySterling Byrd Lacy
Member of the Colorado Senate from the 11th District
In office
1938–1941
Preceded byE. Clair Hotchkiss
Succeeded byCharles E. Blaine
In office
1921–1923
Preceded byJohn F. Pearson
Succeeded byJ. E. Moore
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from Delta County
In office
1915–1921
Preceded byGeorge W. Bruce
Succeeded byThomas R. Blackwell
Personal details
Born
Robert Fay Rockwell

(1886-02-11)February 11, 1886
Cortland, New York
DiedSeptember 29, 1950(1950-09-29) (aged 64)
Maher, Colorado
Resting placeHornell Cemetery, Hornell, New York
Political partyRepublican
Children2
Alma materPrinceton University (attended)
OccupationCattle rancher, politician

Early life and education

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Born 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

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He 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

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He 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

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He 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

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1941 Colorado's 4th congressional district special election[10]
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
1942 United States House of Representatives elections[11]
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
1944 United States House of Representatives elections[12]
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
1946 United States House of Representatives elections[13]
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
1948 United States House of Representatives elections[14]
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

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Obituary for Robert F. Rockwell". The Daily Sentinel. September 29, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Biographical Note, Robert Fay Rockwell". Robert Rockwell Papers. Boulder, CO: University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Morley and Means Leading for Governor and Senator". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, CO. September 10, 1924. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Republican Majorities are Growing". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, CO. Associated Press. November 5, 1924. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Rockwell Sends Congratulations to Gov. Adams". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Fort Collins, CO. Associated Press. November 5, 1930. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Obituary for Rockwell". Elmira Advertiser. September 30, 1950. p. 11. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "Robert F. Rockwell, Former Congressman of Fourth District Dies Suddenly Thursday". The Daily Sentinel. September 29, 1950. p. 1. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  10. ^ "Our Campaigns - CO District 4 - Special Election Race - Dec 09, 1941". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  11. ^ "1942 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
  12. ^ "1944 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
  13. ^ "1946 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
  14. ^ "1948 Election Results" (PDF). house.gov.
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Party political offices
Preceded by
William L. Boatright
Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado
1930
Succeeded by
James D. Parriott
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
1923–1925
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Colorado's 4th congressional district

December 9, 1941 – January 3, 1949
Succeeded by