Edwin E. Roberts

Edwin Ewing Roberts (December 12, 1870 – December 11, 1933) was an American attorney and politician from Nevada. He is best known for his service as a United States Representative from 1911 to 1919, and mayor of Reno, Nevada from 1923 to 1933.

This article is about the U.S. Representative from Nevada. For the Olympic athlete from Trinidad and Tobago, see Edwin Roberts.
Edwin E. Roberts
Mayor of Reno, Nevada
In office
1923–1933
Preceded byHarry Stewart
Succeeded bySam Frank (acting)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Nevada's At-Large district
In office
March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1919
Preceded byGeorge A. Bartlett
Succeeded byCharles R. Evans
Personal details
Born(1870-12-12)December 12, 1870
Pleasant Grove, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 1933(1933-12-11) (aged 62)
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Resting placeOdd Fellows Cemetery, Reno, Nevada
Political partyRepublican
RelationsWalter Johnson (son-in-law)
EducationCalifornia State Normal School
ProfessionAttorney

Biography

Roberts was born and raised in Pleasant Grove, California.[1] He attended the public schools and graduated from the California State Normal School in 1891.[1] He taught school in Hollister, California, from 1891 to 1897 and Empire, Ormsby County, Nevada from 1897 to 1899.[1]

After studying law while teaching school, Roberts was admitted to the bar in 1899 and commenced practice in Carson City, Nevada.[1] A Republican, he was district attorney of Ormsby County from 1900 to 1910.[1] Beginning in 1912, he was a delegate to every state party convention and almost every national convention until 1932.[1]

In 1910, Roberts was a successful Republican candidate for the U.S. House.[1] He was reelected three times, and served from March 4, 1911 to March 3, 1919.[1] On April 5, 1917 he voted against U.S. entry into World War I against Germany. Roberts did not seek renomination in 1918, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate.[1] He lost to Democrat Charles B. Henderson by a vote of 12,197 to 8,053, and relocated to Reno, where he re-established a law practice.[1]

In 1923, Roberts was elected mayor of Reno.[1] He was reelected in 1927 and 1931, and served until his death.[1] Roberts was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator in 1926 and governor of Nevada in 1930.[1]

Death and burial

He died in Reno on December 11, 1933.[1] Roberts was buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Reno.[2]

Family

Roberts was married twice.[1] His first wife, Nora S. Range died in 1926.[1] In 1929, he married Sadie Tomamichael of Reno.[1] With his first wife, he was the father of children Frederick, Bobbie, and Hazel.[3] With his second wife, he was the stepfather of Wilma and J. J. Tomamichael.[3]

Roberts' daughter Hazel Lee Roberts was the wife of baseball pitcher Walter Johnson.[3] They married in Roberts' Washington home on June 24, 1914, with the chaplain of the United States Senate presiding over the ceremony.[4] Johnson served as a county commissioner in Maryland after his baseball career ended, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress as a Republican in 1940.

Notes
  1. "Mayor E. E. Roberts Dies". Reno Evening Gazette. Reno, NV. December 11, 1933. pp. 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Funeral Notice, Edwin E. Roberts". Reno Evening Gazette. Reno, NV. December 13, 1933. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Death Notice, Edwin E. Roberts". Reno Evening Gazette. Reno, NV. December 11, 1933. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Walter Johnson Marries; Miss Roberts, Bride-elect, Saw Pitcher Beat Champions Yesterday". The New York Times. New York, NY. June 25, 1914. p. 10.

References
Party political offices
Preceded by
Samuel Platt		 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Nevada
(Class 3)
1918		 Succeeded by
Tasker Oddie
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
George A. Bartlett		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Nevada's at-large congressional district
1911–1919		 Succeeded by
Charles R. Evans
Political offices
Preceded by
Harry Stewart		 Mayor of Reno
1923–1933		 Succeeded by
Sam Frank (acting)
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