Robert Schliske
Encyclopedia
Robert Paul Edward Schliske, I (July 2, 1924 - June 21, 2007), was a founder of Laramie County Community College
in Cheyenne
and a former Republican
member of the Wyoming House of Representatives
. He served in the House from 1971-1975 during the administration of Republican Governor
Stanley K. Hathaway
.
east of Fort Dodge, Iowa
, to Paul Schliske and the former Hattie Hansch. That same year, the family moved to Carpenter, a rural
community southeast of Cheyenne in Laramie County, where he graduated from Carpenter High School
.
, he served in the United States Navy Air Corps as a radio operator.
After the war, Schliske attended the University of Wyoming
at Laramie
, his state's only four-year degree-granting institution of higher education
. He earned a bachelor of science
degree in agriculture
and a master of science
in education
. In 1950, he returned to his alma mater, Carpenter High School, to teach vocational agriculture. He was the advisor to his school's Future Farmers of America chapter, which was selected "best in Wyoming" for eight consecutive years and twice received a national gold
emblem award. He was a former president of the Wyoming Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association and a member of Phi Delta Kappa
and Alpha Tau Alpha
.
In 1963, Schliske moved to Cheyenne, where he worked for the State of Wyoming during the administration of Republican Governor Clifford P. Hansen, first as director of civil defense
adult education and then as director of manpower development and training.
In March 1969, Schliske became in effect one of the first employees of Laramie County Community College, having been named dean
of vocational-technical education and then dean of instruction. He retired from LCCC in 1984.
Schliske served two two-year terms in the 60-member Wyoming House as an at-large member from Laramie County. He was not a candidate for a third term in the 1974 primary. He served thereafter on the board of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce
. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars
, American Legion
, and the Cheyenne Airport Golf
Club. He was a former member of Civitan International, the Lions Club, and the Wyoming Senior Golfers Association.
In 1947, Schliske married the former Helen Jean Konig (September 19, 1925 - February 1976). In 1980, he married the former Rosalind "Roz" Routt (born ca. 1951) in Cheyenne. She is a journalism
instructor and director of multi-media at LCCC.
, the seat of Goshen County; and two sisters, Edna L. Gallina (1914–1997) of Los Angeles
, California
, and Elsie E. Penwell (1915–2001).
In addition to his wife, Schliske was survived by a son, Robert P. Schliske, II (born 1964), of Cheyenne; three daughters, Laura Wright of Cheyenne, Debra Rose of Lusk
, the seat of Niobrara County in eastern Wyoming, and Chris Black of Greeley, Colorado
; two sisters, Esther Hagemann of Denver
, and Eleanor Romsa of Los Angeles; ten grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Services were held on June 27, 2007, at Ascension Lutheran Church in Cheyenne, where Schliske was a member. Interment was at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.
and Democrat
Edwin H. Whitehead
died on April 20 and May 20, respectively. Former Republican Representative Larry D. Shippy
, who served from 1993–1996, died on June 8. In addition, Republican U.S. Senator Craig Thomas of Casper
died on June 4. In September, Dean T. Prosser
, whose legislative service began with that of Schliske's, died in Rhode Island
, where he had retired.
Laramie County Community College
Laramie County Community College is a full-service community college in Laramie County, Wyoming, with campuses in Cheyenne and Laramie and outreach centers at F.E. Warren Air Force Base and in Pine Bluffs. LCCC was established in 1968....
in Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
and a former 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...
member of the Wyoming House of Representatives
Wyoming House of Representatives
The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
. He served in the House from 1971-1975 during the administration of Republican Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Stanley K. Hathaway
Stanley K. Hathaway
Stanley Knapp Hathaway served as 27th Governor of Wyoming from 1967–1975, and as United States Secretary of the Interior under President Gerald R. Ford.- Early life and military service :Stanley K...
.
Early years
Schlikse was born in a farmhouseFarmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
east of Fort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
, to Paul Schliske and the former Hattie Hansch. That same year, the family moved to Carpenter, a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
community southeast of Cheyenne in Laramie County, where he graduated from Carpenter High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
World War II service
During World War IIWorld 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 Air Corps as a radio operator.
After the war, Schliske attended the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
at Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
, his state's only four-year degree-granting institution of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. He earned a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and a master of science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. In 1950, he returned to his alma mater, Carpenter High School, to teach vocational agriculture. He was the advisor to his school's Future Farmers of America chapter, which was selected "best in Wyoming" for eight consecutive years and twice received a national gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
emblem award. He was a former president of the Wyoming Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association and a member of Phi Delta Kappa
Phi Delta Kappa
Phi Delta Kappa is an US professional organization for educators. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. It was founded on 24 January 1906. Phi Delta Kappa also had a youth organization, called Xinos, girls, and Kudos, guys.-Membership:Currently, membership consists of students,...
and Alpha Tau Alpha
Alpha Tau Alpha
Alpha Tau Alpha is a National Professional Honorary Agricultural Education Organization that plays a vital role in the preparation of those who have chosen a major in agricultural education or extension education.- History :...
.
In 1963, Schliske moved to Cheyenne, where he worked for the State of Wyoming during the administration of Republican Governor Clifford P. Hansen, first as director of civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
adult education and then as director of manpower development and training.
In March 1969, Schliske became in effect one of the first employees of Laramie County Community College, having been named dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of vocational-technical education and then dean of instruction. He retired from LCCC in 1984.
Schliske served two two-year terms in the 60-member Wyoming House as an at-large member from Laramie County. He was not a candidate for a third term in the 1974 primary. He served thereafter on the board of the Greater Cheyenne 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...
. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, 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...
, and the Cheyenne Airport Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Club. He was a former member of Civitan International, the Lions Club, and the Wyoming Senior Golfers Association.
In 1947, Schliske married the former Helen Jean Konig (September 19, 1925 - February 1976). In 1980, he married the former Rosalind "Roz" Routt (born ca. 1951) in Cheyenne. She is a journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
instructor and director of multi-media at LCCC.
Death and burial
Schliske died at the Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Elmer Schliske, and Hilbert L. Schliske (1922–2005) and Ronald Schliske (1932–1985), both of TorringtonTorrington, Wyoming
Torrington is a city in and the county seat of Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,776 at the 2000 census. Torrington is the home of Eastern Wyoming College....
, the seat of Goshen County; and two sisters, Edna L. Gallina (1914–1997) of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and Elsie E. Penwell (1915–2001).
In addition to his wife, Schliske was survived by a son, Robert P. Schliske, II (born 1964), of Cheyenne; three daughters, Laura Wright of Cheyenne, Debra Rose of Lusk
Lusk, Wyoming
Lusk is a town in Niobrara County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,447 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Niobrara County. The town was laid out in June 1886 by engineers working on the Wyoming Central Railway. It was named after Frank S...
, the seat of Niobrara County in eastern Wyoming, and Chris Black of Greeley, Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
; two sisters, Esther Hagemann of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, and Eleanor Romsa of Los Angeles; ten grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Services were held on June 27, 2007, at Ascension Lutheran Church in Cheyenne, where Schliske was a member. Interment was at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.
Honors
The former lawmaker is remembered through the Robert and Rosalind Schliske Scholarship, LCCC Foundation, 1400 East College Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82007.Deaths of other legislators
Schliske was the fourth former Cheyenne lawmaker to have died in a two-month period from April 20 to June 21, 2007. Republican Joseph D. SelbyJoseph D. Selby
Joseph David Selby was a Cheyenne lawyer who served as municipal judge from 1978–1982 and as a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from District 41 in Laramie County from 1995-1997....
and Democrat
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...
Edwin H. Whitehead
Edwin H. Whitehead
Edwin H. "Ed" Whitehead was a lawyer in Cheyenne, a former Democratic member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, and an early supporter of John F...
died on April 20 and May 20, respectively. Former Republican Representative Larry D. Shippy
Larry D. Shippy
Larry Deleo Shippy was a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, having served in Laramie County District 8, including part of Cheyenne, from 1993–1996. Shippy was known for his efforts to expand the privatizing of government services...
, who served from 1993–1996, died on June 8. In addition, Republican U.S. Senator Craig Thomas of Casper
Casper, Wyoming
Casper is the county seat of Natrona County, Wyoming, United States.. Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming , according to the 2010 census, with a population of 55,316...
died on June 4. In September, Dean T. Prosser
Dean T. Prosser
Dean T. Prosser, Jr. , was a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1971–1983, who authored major environmental legislation to preserve the Wyoming landscape. Prosser was also the executive secretary and then the executive vice-president of the influential Wyoming...
, whose legislative service began with that of Schliske's, died in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, where he had retired.