Robert E. Lavender is a former Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court

Oklahoma Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....

, and was appointed to the Court's District 1 seat by Governor Henry Bellmon

Henry Bellmon

Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings...

 in 1966, and was retained by the voters later that year and subsequently in 1972, 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, and 2002. He served as the Court's Chief Justice from 1979 to 1981.

He was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....

, and grew up in Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

 and on a farm in Catoosa

Catoosa, Oklahoma

Catoosa is a river city in Rogers and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 7,159 at the 2010 census compared to 5,449 at the 2000 census. This was a 31.2 percent increase during the decade.Catoosa is an Inland seaport...

. During the final year of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he served in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, on reserve duty in the South Pacific. In 1953, he earned a law degree from the University of Tulsa

University of Tulsa

The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...

.

He retired August 1, 2007. Governor Brad Henry

Brad Henry

Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...

 appointed John F. Reif

John F. Reif

John F. Reif is a justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He was appointed by Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry on October 22, 2007, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of former Justice Robert E. Lavender....

to succeed Justice Lavender.