Robert L. Bobbitt
Encyclopedia
Robert Lee Bobbitt, Sr. (January 24, 1888 - September 14, 1972), was an attorney and Democratic
politician
from San Antonio
, Texas
, who served in the first half of the 20th century as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
, Attorney General of Texas, and chairman of the Texas Highway Department.
General
Robert E. Lee
and called "Robert Lee," Bobbitt was born on Cobb Creek on a cotton
farm and cattle
ranch
called Plum Hill. The specific location is near Hillsboro
in Hill County north of Waco
, Texas
. His parents were Joseph Alderson Bobbitt (1858–1937), a native of Summersville
in Nicholas County in south central West Virginia
, and the former Laura Abigail Duff, originally from McNairy County in southwestern Tennessee
, home of the subsequent Sheriff
Buford Pusser
. Joseph Alderson came with family members by covered wagon
to Texas from Missouri
. Bobbitt's mother died in December 1895. Almost exactly a year later, Joseph Bobbitt married 23-year-old Irene Ficklin. By 1913, Robert Lee Bobbitt, at twenty-five, was living in the family home and working on the plantation with eighteen other persons, including for a time his paternal grandfather, Captain James Tolliver Bobbitt (1836–1928) and grandmother, the former Malinda Catherine Alderson. Young Bobbitt worked in the cotton fields, where the crop was gathered and bailed and then loaded on a horse-drawn wagon. Bobbitt became particularly close to a younger half-brother, James Ficklin Bobbitt, later an attorney in Houston
.
Bobbitt attended the Carlisle Military School in Arlington
near Dallas
, Texas. In 1911, he graduated from the University of North Texas
in Denton
, then a normal school
for teacher training. He worked his way through college, mowing lawns, laboring in restaurants, and clerking in the library of the Texas State Capitol
. In 1915, Bobbitt received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law
in Austin
, having been elected president and chancellor by his law school classmates. He was affiliated with Phi Delta Phi
legal fraternity.
On April 20, 1918, Bobbitt wed the former Mary Belle Westbrook (died 1971) of Laredo
, the seat of Webb County
in south Texas. He first established his law office in Laredo but relocated in 1935 to the larger San Antonio
.
, but he was not assigned to combat. He enlisted as a private
and was discharged in 1919 at the rank of Captain. He then returned to his wife and legal practice in Laredo, where he was a member of the firm Hick, Hicks, Dixon & Bobbitt.
. He was commander of the local American Legion
post. He helped to establish Rotary International
in Laredo, and in 1919, he became president of the chapter. In 1929, he was elected as Rotary district governor. He was for two years president of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce
and was active in the Boy Scouts of America
and the First Presbyterian Church of Laredo.
Bobbitt served on the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee from 1920–1922, when he was elected to the first of his three terms in the Texas House of Representatives from Webb County. He aligned himself with the anti-Ferguson
forces in the Democratic Party. He fought to block a bill granting amnesty and restoring full political rights to impeached
former Governor
James Edward Ferguson, a bill that passed the legislature during the first administration of Ferguson's wife, Governor Miriam A. Ferguson
, who served from 1925-1927. Bobbitt rose to the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee before being elected Speaker in 1927. Under Bobbitt's leadership, the House reformed the state appeals court system and passed a law repealing the earlier political amnesty granted Ferguson.
While serving his last days as Speaker, Bobbitt won election as district attorney
for the 49th Judicial District, which then covered Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg County, and Dimmit
counties but is now restricted to Webb and Zapata counties.
of Taylor
, Texas, who had unseated Miriam Ferguson in the 1926 Democratic runoff election, appointed Bobbitt to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Claude Pollard
as Texas state Attorney General. Moody had also held the position himself from 1925-1927. Bobbitt, however, was defeated in 1930 for a full term as attorney general by fellow Democrat James V. Allred of Corpus Christi
, who four years later was elected governor.
Bobbitt thereafter endorsed Allred in the 1934 and 1936 gubernatorial elections. The News-Tribune in Mercedes
in Hidalgo County
in south Texas, editorialized, accordingly:
"A few years ago Judge Bobbitt was running for election to the Attorney-Generalship, after having been appointed by Governor Dan Moody. He was opposed by a young man named Jimmie Allred. Young Allred proceeded to give Judge Bobbitt a thorough trouncing at the polls. Usually, a politician becomes sore at his opponent when he is defeated.
"Judge Bobbitt realized that the office belonged to the people and not to him. He realized that young Jimmie Allred had simply beat him as a campaigner. He rather admired the young man for it. Judge Bobbitt told the 'News-Tribune' editor that Jimmie Allred has a through ticket to the Governor's chair.
"In the recent election Mr. Bobbitt actively and effectively supported Attorney General Allred for Governor. Mr. Bobbitt won many new friends by showing that he could take it.
. O'Daniel turned over the governorship to Coke Stevenson in 1941, after defeating Lyndon B. Johnson
in a special election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Morris Sheppard
of Texarkana
. In 1942, Allred and Moody both unsuccessfully challenged O'Daniel for a full term in the Senate. Johnson won the seat in a disputed vote in 1948.
Upon leaving the highway department, Bobbitt became the senior partner in the San Antonio firm, Bobbitt, Brite, Bobbitt & Allen. He was an active elder in the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio.
Bobbitt chaired the board of directors of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, then Texas A&I College, in Kingsville
.
. James Allred was the Democratic nominee for governor, having defeated Miriam Ferguson in the preceding primary election. Here is an excerpt from his address, which urges party unity though the Democrats were not politically threatened in Texas, or nationally, in 1934:
"Yes, we honestly desire and with confidence expect harmony, and the full co-operation of all real Democrats, particularly during this most disastrous period in our state's history [apparent reference to the Great Depression
]. But we demand the kind of political sportsmanship and co-operation and that character of party and governmental harmony which will bring to the people of the state the real relief and the genuine respect to which they are so justly entitled."
In 1944, Bobbitt was a successful elector candidate for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
, with running-mate Harry S Truman, who defeated the Republican
ticket of Governor
Thomas E. Dewey and Governor John Bricker of Ohio
. Like Governor Allred, Bobbitt was a leading FDR supporter in Texas. In 1958, Governor Marion Price Daniel, Sr.
, named Bobbitt to the regents of the University of North Texas, his alma mater
.
Bobbitt was personally friendly with Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Sam Rayburn
, Presidents Truman and Lyndon Johnson as well as the Republican
chief executives, Dwight D. Eisenhower
and Richard M. Nixon.
in Webster County, West Virginia. There he discovered the Nicholas County roots of his grandfather and father and met and maintained contact with many distant relatives that he otherwise would not have known. Toward the end of his life, Bobbitt wrote of the importance of family reunions:
"Time marches on, and in the not-too-distant future most of the members of our family of our day and time will be gone. That is why it is good to have these reunions, in the hope that they may inspire the younger members of the family to continue an interest in the family history and tradition, and to keep in touch with one another in the days ahead, and bring the families together for visits as often as possible."
After the death of his wife, Belle, in 1971, Bobbitt resided at the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio. He fell in his hotel room in August 1972 and entered Nix Hospital, where he died a month later at the age of eighty-four of a stroke
and gall bladder failure. The couple had one son, Robert Lee Bobbitt, Jr. (born 1922), also an attorney in San Antonio. Bobbitt, Jr., and his wife, the former Elizabeth Calhoun (deceased), had three sons. Bobbit grandson Galloway Calhoun "Cal" Bobbitt (born 1950) practices law in the firm Drought, Drought & Bobbitt in San Antonio. Another grandson, Robert L. Bobbitt, III (1946–2005), received a Ph.D.
in ancient history
from Columbia University
and was employed in New York City
by Standard and Poors. The third grandson is John Galloway Bobbitt, also of San Antonio.
The family website notes Bobbitt's "willingness to be useful. He was interested in people, their problems, and in helping them to see their way through life. He rarely forgot a face or name of anyone whom he had met. He became a leader for justice for the Mexican American
s. Their confidence in him and their loyalty to him, led to his early political success. He championed causes that others were afraid to touch."
Dr. Ozro H. Bobbitt (1885–1978) of Charleston
, West Virginia, and later St. Petersburg
, Florida
, described his cousin and friend, accordingly: "It is more than being intelligent, more than being personable, more than hard work, more than being educated, that made Robert Lee great, it was his 'instant willingness to be useful.' Of course he had all the qualities necessary for being useful, but the key word is 'willingness.'"
Coincidentally, while Bobbitt began his legal career in Laredo, former Governor Allred, later U.S. District Judge Allred, died in 1959 in Laredo, where on temporary judicial assignment he was stricken while presiding at a trial. While Bobbitt was practicing law in San Antonio, his friend, former Governor Moody, who was opposed to the fourth-term nomination of Franklin D. Roosevelt, was similarly engaged in his own legal practice in Austin. At that time, Bobbitt had been an FDR elector.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, who served in the first half of the 20th century as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House...
, Attorney General of Texas, and chairman of the Texas Highway Department.
Early life
Named for ConfederateConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
and called "Robert Lee," Bobbitt was born on Cobb Creek on a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
farm and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
called Plum Hill. The specific location is near Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Texas
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 8,232 at the 2000 census.Hillsboro, located on Interstate 35 where I-35E and I-35W meet south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is the primary center for trade and commerce in Hill County...
in Hill County north of Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. His parents were Joseph Alderson Bobbitt (1858–1937), a native of Summersville
Summersville, West Virginia
Summersville is a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,194 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nicholas County.-Geography:...
in Nicholas County in south central West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and the former Laura Abigail Duff, originally from McNairy County in southwestern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, home of the subsequent Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Buford Pusser
Buford Pusser
Buford Hayse Pusser was the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee , from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee state-line. His story has directly inspired several books, songs, movies and at...
. Joseph Alderson came with family members by covered wagon
Covered wagon
The covered wagon, also known as a Prairie schooner, is an icon of the American Old West.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteenth century thousands of Americans took them across the Great Plains to Oregon and California...
to Texas from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Bobbitt's mother died in December 1895. Almost exactly a year later, Joseph Bobbitt married 23-year-old Irene Ficklin. By 1913, Robert Lee Bobbitt, at twenty-five, was living in the family home and working on the plantation with eighteen other persons, including for a time his paternal grandfather, Captain James Tolliver Bobbitt (1836–1928) and grandmother, the former Malinda Catherine Alderson. Young Bobbitt worked in the cotton fields, where the crop was gathered and bailed and then loaded on a horse-drawn wagon. Bobbitt became particularly close to a younger half-brother, James Ficklin Bobbitt, later an attorney in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Bobbitt attended the Carlisle Military School in Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
near Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas. In 1911, he graduated from the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
in Denton
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, then a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
for teacher training. He worked his way through college, mowing lawns, laboring in restaurants, and clerking in the library of the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
. In 1915, Bobbitt received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, having been elected president and chancellor by his law school classmates. He was affiliated with Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
legal fraternity.
On April 20, 1918, Bobbitt wed the former Mary Belle Westbrook (died 1971) of Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, the seat of Webb County
Webb County, Texas
Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
in south Texas. He first established his law office in Laredo but relocated in 1935 to the larger San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
Military career
Bobbitt served in the U.S. Army during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but he was not assigned to combat. He enlisted as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
and was discharged in 1919 at the rank of Captain. He then returned to his wife and legal practice in Laredo, where he was a member of the firm Hick, Hicks, Dixon & Bobbitt.
The Laredo years
While in Laredo, Bobbitt was a member of the fraternal organization, the Benevolent and Protective Order of ElksBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
. He was commander of the local American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
post. He helped to establish Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
in Laredo, and in 1919, he became president of the chapter. In 1929, he was elected as Rotary district governor. He was for two years president of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and was active in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and the First Presbyterian Church of Laredo.
Bobbitt served on the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee from 1920–1922, when he was elected to the first of his three terms in the Texas House of Representatives from Webb County. He aligned himself with the anti-Ferguson
James E. Ferguson
James Edward "Pa" Ferguson, Jr. , was a Democratic politician from the state of Texas.- Early life :Ferguson was born to the Reverend James Ferguson, Sr., and Fannie Ferguson near Salado in south Bell County, Texas. He entered Salado College at age twelve but was eventually expelled for...
forces in the Democratic Party. He fought to block a bill granting amnesty and restoring full political rights to impeached
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
former Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
James Edward Ferguson, a bill that passed the legislature during the first administration of Ferguson's wife, Governor Miriam A. Ferguson
Miriam A. Ferguson
Miriam Amanda Wallace "Ma" Ferguson was the first female Governor of Texas in 1925. She held office until 1927, later winning another term in 1933 and serving until 1935.-Early life:...
, who served from 1925-1927. Bobbitt rose to the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee before being elected Speaker in 1927. Under Bobbitt's leadership, the House reformed the state appeals court system and passed a law repealing the earlier political amnesty granted Ferguson.
While serving his last days as Speaker, Bobbitt won election as district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for the 49th Judicial District, which then covered Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg County, and Dimmit
Dimmit County, Texas
Dimmit County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 10,248. It is named for Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution. The reason the county name differs is because the bill creating the county misspelled Dimmitt's name...
counties but is now restricted to Webb and Zapata counties.
Austin politics
In 1929, Governor Dan MoodyDan Moody
Daniel James Moody, Jr. , was a Democratic political figure, originally from Taylor, Texas, USA. He served as the 30th Governor of Texas between 1927 and 1931, and is best remembered as a reformer and an opponent of the Ku Klux Klan...
of Taylor
Taylor, Texas
Taylor is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,575 at the 2000 census; it was 15,191 in the 2010 census estimate. Taylors largest employers include the Electric Reliability Council of Texas , Durcon Inc, and the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, an immigration...
, Texas, who had unseated Miriam Ferguson in the 1926 Democratic runoff election, appointed Bobbitt to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Claude Pollard
Claude Pollard
Claude Pollard was Attorney General of Texas from 1927 - 1929. During his service in public office he defended laws aimed at the disenfranchisement of black voters.-Early life:...
as Texas state Attorney General. Moody had also held the position himself from 1925-1927. Bobbitt, however, was defeated in 1930 for a full term as attorney general by fellow Democrat James V. Allred of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, who four years later was elected governor.
Bobbitt thereafter endorsed Allred in the 1934 and 1936 gubernatorial elections. The News-Tribune in Mercedes
Mercedes, Texas
Mercedes is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,570 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.-Geography:Mercedes is located at ....
in Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County, Texas
Hidalgo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Hidalgo County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and is the seventh most-populous county in Texas. Its population in 2010 was 774,769, a 35% increase from 2000...
in south Texas, editorialized, accordingly:
"A few years ago Judge Bobbitt was running for election to the Attorney-Generalship, after having been appointed by Governor Dan Moody. He was opposed by a young man named Jimmie Allred. Young Allred proceeded to give Judge Bobbitt a thorough trouncing at the polls. Usually, a politician becomes sore at his opponent when he is defeated.
"Judge Bobbitt realized that the office belonged to the people and not to him. He realized that young Jimmie Allred had simply beat him as a campaigner. He rather admired the young man for it. Judge Bobbitt told the 'News-Tribune' editor that Jimmie Allred has a through ticket to the Governor's chair.
"In the recent election Mr. Bobbitt actively and effectively supported Attorney General Allred for Governor. Mr. Bobbitt won many new friends by showing that he could take it.
Highway department chairman
Bobbitt's next public office was an Associate Justice of the Fourth Court of Civil Appeals, a position that he assumed after he moved to San Antonio. He subsequently served at a reduction in pay as a member and chairman of the Texas Highway Commission under appointment from his former rival-turned-ally, Governor Allred. On the commission, Bobbitt worked to expand the number of highway miles available in his state. He held the chairmanship from 1937–1943, having been retained by Allred's successor as governor, W. Lee O'DanielW. Lee O'Daniel
Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, , was a conservative Democratic Party politician from Texas, who came to prominence by hosting a popular radio program. Known for his populist appeal, Pappy O'Daniel was the governor of Texas and later its junior U.S. Senator. He is also the only person ever to have...
. O'Daniel turned over the governorship to Coke Stevenson in 1941, after defeating Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
in a special election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Morris Sheppard
Morris Sheppard
John Morris Sheppard was a Democratic United States Congressman and United States Senator from Texas. He authored the Eighteenth Amendment and introduced it in the Senate, so that he is referred to as "the father of national Prohibition."-Biography:John Morris Sheppard was born in Morris County...
of Texarkana
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue...
. In 1942, Allred and Moody both unsuccessfully challenged O'Daniel for a full term in the Senate. Johnson won the seat in a disputed vote in 1948.
Upon leaving the highway department, Bobbitt became the senior partner in the San Antonio firm, Bobbitt, Brite, Bobbitt & Allen. He was an active elder in the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio.
Bobbitt chaired the board of directors of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, then Texas A&I College, in Kingsville
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...
.
Loyal Democrat
An active Democrat, Bobbitt in 1934 delivered a stirring speech to the party faithful at the Texas State Democratic Convention in GalvestonGalveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
. James Allred was the Democratic nominee for governor, having defeated Miriam Ferguson in the preceding primary election. Here is an excerpt from his address, which urges party unity though the Democrats were not politically threatened in Texas, or nationally, in 1934:
"Yes, we honestly desire and with confidence expect harmony, and the full co-operation of all real Democrats, particularly during this most disastrous period in our state's history [apparent reference to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
]. But we demand the kind of political sportsmanship and co-operation and that character of party and governmental harmony which will bring to the people of the state the real relief and the genuine respect to which they are so justly entitled."
In 1944, Bobbitt was a successful elector candidate for U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, with running-mate Harry S Truman, who defeated the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
ticket of Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Thomas E. Dewey and Governor John Bricker of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Like Governor Allred, Bobbitt was a leading FDR supporter in Texas. In 1958, Governor Marion Price Daniel, Sr.
Price Daniel
Marion Price Daniel, Sr. , was a Democratic U.S. Senator and the 38th Governor of the state of Texas. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be a member of the National Security Council, Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and Assistant to the President for Federal-State...
, named Bobbitt to the regents of the University of North Texas, his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
.
Bobbitt was personally friendly with Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Sam Rayburn
Sam Rayburn
Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn , often called "Mr. Sam," or "Mr. Democrat," was a Democratic lawmaker from Bonham, Texas, who served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for seventeen years, the longest tenure in U.S. history.- Background :Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee, and...
, Presidents Truman and Lyndon Johnson as well as the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
chief executives, Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and Richard M. Nixon.
Last years and legacy
From 1946-1970, the Bobbitts attended extended family reunions held annually at Camp Caesar in rural CowenCowen, West Virginia
Cowen is a town in Webster County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 513 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cowen is located at ....
in Webster County, West Virginia. There he discovered the Nicholas County roots of his grandfather and father and met and maintained contact with many distant relatives that he otherwise would not have known. Toward the end of his life, Bobbitt wrote of the importance of family reunions:
"Time marches on, and in the not-too-distant future most of the members of our family of our day and time will be gone. That is why it is good to have these reunions, in the hope that they may inspire the younger members of the family to continue an interest in the family history and tradition, and to keep in touch with one another in the days ahead, and bring the families together for visits as often as possible."
After the death of his wife, Belle, in 1971, Bobbitt resided at the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio. He fell in his hotel room in August 1972 and entered Nix Hospital, where he died a month later at the age of eighty-four of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and gall bladder failure. The couple had one son, Robert Lee Bobbitt, Jr. (born 1922), also an attorney in San Antonio. Bobbitt, Jr., and his wife, the former Elizabeth Calhoun (deceased), had three sons. Bobbit grandson Galloway Calhoun "Cal" Bobbitt (born 1950) practices law in the firm Drought, Drought & Bobbitt in San Antonio. Another grandson, Robert L. Bobbitt, III (1946–2005), received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and was employed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Standard and Poors. The third grandson is John Galloway Bobbitt, also of San Antonio.
The family website notes Bobbitt's "willingness to be useful. He was interested in people, their problems, and in helping them to see their way through life. He rarely forgot a face or name of anyone whom he had met. He became a leader for justice for the Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
s. Their confidence in him and their loyalty to him, led to his early political success. He championed causes that others were afraid to touch."
Dr. Ozro H. Bobbitt (1885–1978) of Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, West Virginia, and later St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, described his cousin and friend, accordingly: "It is more than being intelligent, more than being personable, more than hard work, more than being educated, that made Robert Lee great, it was his 'instant willingness to be useful.' Of course he had all the qualities necessary for being useful, but the key word is 'willingness.'"
Coincidentally, while Bobbitt began his legal career in Laredo, former Governor Allred, later U.S. District Judge Allred, died in 1959 in Laredo, where on temporary judicial assignment he was stricken while presiding at a trial. While Bobbitt was practicing law in San Antonio, his friend, former Governor Moody, who was opposed to the fourth-term nomination of Franklin D. Roosevelt, was similarly engaged in his own legal practice in Austin. At that time, Bobbitt had been an FDR elector.