Robert Eakin
Encyclopedia
Robert Eakin was an American
judge and attorney in the state of Oregon
. He served as the 19th Chief Justice
on the Oregon Supreme Court
. Eakin was the head judge of the court from 1911 to 1913, and was on the court overall from 1907 until 1917.
. His parents, Stewart Bates Eakin and Catherine McEldowney Eakin, traveled the Oregon Trail
to Oregon
in 1866 along with his brother James A. Eakin. The family would set down roots in the Eugene, Oregon
area of the state. Robert Eakin attended Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
, where he graduated in 1873. He then studied law in Eugene, and passed the bar in 1874.
, he entered private practice in Eastern Oregon
in Union County
. There he practiced from 1875 until 1895 when he became a judge for the state circuit court’s 10th Judicial District. He served on that court until 1907.
In the fall of 1906 Eakin was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court to fill the position of Thomas G. Hailey
, whose term expired in January 1907. Eakin won re-election to a second six-year term in 1912. Justice Eakin then served as chief justice of the state’s highest court from 1911 to 1913, and then resigned on January 8, 1917 to be replaced by Wallace McCamant
.
. Robert Eakin died on October 1, 1917.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge and attorney in the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He served as the 19th Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
on the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
. Eakin was the head judge of the court from 1911 to 1913, and was on the court overall from 1907 until 1917.
Early life
Eakin was born on March 15, 1848, in Kane County, IllinoisKane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
. His parents, Stewart Bates Eakin and Catherine McEldowney Eakin, traveled the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in 1866 along with his brother James A. Eakin. The family would set down roots in the Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
area of the state. Robert Eakin attended Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, where he graduated in 1873. He then studied law in Eugene, and passed the bar in 1874.
Legal career
Following his acceptance to the state barBar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
, he entered private practice in Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
in Union County
Union County, Oregon
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2010, the county population was 25,748. The county seat is La Grande.-History:Union County...
. There he practiced from 1875 until 1895 when he became a judge for the state circuit court’s 10th Judicial District. He served on that court until 1907.
In the fall of 1906 Eakin was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court to fill the position of Thomas G. Hailey
Thomas G. Hailey
Thomas G. Hailey was an American attorney and judge in Oregon. He was the 35th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court in the United States. Prior to appointment to Oregon’s high court he served as a district attorney in Eastern Oregon and as mayor of Pendleton, Oregon.-Early life:Born in La...
, whose term expired in January 1907. Eakin won re-election to a second six-year term in 1912. Justice Eakin then served as chief justice of the state’s highest court from 1911 to 1913, and then resigned on January 8, 1917 to be replaced by Wallace McCamant
Wallace McCamant
Wallace McCamant was an American jurist in Oregon. A Pennsylvania native, he served as the 46th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918. Later he served briefly on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit...
.
Family
Robert Eakin married in 1876 to the former Nancy Walker. They would have four children together. Eakin’s younger brother James would also serve as a circuit judge, but in Clatsop County, OregonClatsop County, Oregon
Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal...
. Robert Eakin died on October 1, 1917.