Changes

|term_start2=1908

|term_start2=1908

|term_end2=1914

|term_end2=1914

|preceded2=E. L. Stewart

|preceded2=[[E. L. Stewart]]

|succeeded2=William Burch Lee, Sr.

|succeeded2=[[W. Burch Lee|William Burch Lee, Sr.]]

|office3=[[Judge]] of the<br> Louisiana 26th Judicial District<br> (Bossier and Webster parishes)

|office3=[[Judge]] of the<br> Louisiana 26th Judicial District<br> (Bossier and Webster parishes)

|term_start3=December 4, 1920

|term_start3=December 4, 1920

==Biography==

==Biography==

Roberts was a son of Robert Roberts, Sr., born in [[South Carolina]], and the former Mary McCormick, a native of [[Mississippi]]. The senior Roberts was a physician, a captain of infantry for the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] Army in the [[American Civil War]], and the Union Parish superintendent of schools. The junior Roberts graduated in 1893 from the former Ruston College, a forerunner of [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in Lincoln Parish. He subsequently graduated in 1897 from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. He first taught in public schools before he engaged in the practice of law in the Ruston firm, Barksdale & Barksdale. After admission to the bar, he  represented the Barksdale firm in Farmerville in his native Union Parish. He was elected mayor of Farmerville c. 1900 and then the mayor of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish from 1905 to 1906. In 1908, he was elected to the first of two terms in the state legislature as the representative for Webster Parish. He resigned midway in his second legislative term, during which he had been the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. In 1914, before he left the house he was co-author of the Burke-Roberts Workmen's Compensation Act. He was a member of the Louisiana Tax Commission in 1911 and the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1913. He was also a private secretary to Governor Luther Egbert Hall (1869-1921), a native of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish who appointed Roberts to a two-year opening on the Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in Shreveport, created by the death of Judge Ben Edwards.<ref name=chambers>[[Henry E. Chambers]], "Robert Roberts Jr.," ''A History of Louisiana,'' Vol. 2 ([[Chicago]] and [[New York City]], American Historical Society, Inc., 1925), pp. 21-22.</ref> Roberts was succeeded in the legislature by [[W. Burch Lee]], who subsequently was the clerk of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, also based in Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lee&GSby=1883&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1938&GSdyrel=in&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=78281832&df=all&|title=W. Burch Lee Funeral Here in Afternoon: Former Clerk of Federal Court Expires After Week of Illness|publisher=''The Shreveport Times'' through findagrave.com|accessdate=August 25, 2020}}</ref>

Roberts was a son of Robert Roberts, Sr., born in [[South Carolina]], and the former Mary McCormick, a native of [[Mississippi]]. The senior Roberts was a physician, a captain of infantry for the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] Army in the [[American Civil War]], and the Union Parish superintendent of schools. The junior Roberts graduated in 1893 from the former Ruston College, a forerunner of [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in Lincoln Parish. He subsequently graduated in 1897 from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. He first taught in public schools before he engaged in the practice of law in the Ruston firm, Barksdale & Barksdale. After admission to the bar, he  represented the Barksdale firm in Farmerville in his native Union Parish. He was elected mayor of Farmerville c. 1900 and then the mayor of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish from 1905 to 1906. In 1908, he was elected to the first of two terms in the state legislature as the representative for Webster Parish. He resigned midway in his second legislative term, during which he had been the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. In 1914, before he left the house he was co-author of the Burke-Roberts Workmen's Compensation Act. He was a member of the Louisiana Tax Commission in 1911 and the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1913. He was also a private secretary to Governor Luther Egbert Hall (1869-1921), a native of Bastrop in Morehouse Parish who appointed Roberts to a two-year opening on the Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in Shreveport, created by the death of Judge Ben Edwards.<ref name=chambers>[[Henry E. Chambers]], "Robert Roberts Jr.," ''A History of Louisiana,'' Vol. 2 ([[Chicago]] and [[New York City]], American Historical Society, Inc., 1925), pp. 21-22.</ref> Roberts was succeeded in the legislature by [[W. Burch Lee]], who subsequently was the clerk of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, also based in Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lee&GSby=1883&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1938&GSdyrel=in&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=78281832&df=all&|title=W. Burch Lee Funeral Here in Afternoon: Former Clerk of Federal Court Expires After Week of Illness|publisher=''The Shreveport Times'' through findagrave.com|accessdate=August 25, 2020}}</ref>

In 1920, while he still resided in Minden, Roberts was elected judge of the 26th Judicial District Court, a position he held from 1920 to 1925. He succeeded John Nicholas Sandlin, Sr. (1872-1957), who was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.<ref>''Respect for the Past; Confidence in the Future: Webster Parish Centennial, 1871-1971,''  Webster Parish Police Jury, 1971, p. 17.</ref> After a realignment in 1923, which was temporary, Bossier Parish was moved into the 1st Judicial District with Caddo Parish. Roberts thereafter engaged in his law practice in Shreveport with his son, Roberts Roberts, III, a number designation later used by Judge Roberts's grandson.<ref name=chambers/>

In 1920, while he still resided in Minden, Roberts was elected judge of the 26th Judicial District Court, a position he held from 1920 to 1925. He succeeded John Nicholas Sandlin, Sr. (1872-1957), who was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.<ref>''Respect for the Past; Confidence in the Future: Webster Parish Centennial, 1871-1971,''  Webster Parish Police Jury, 1971, p. 17.</ref> After a realignment in 1923, which was temporary, Bossier Parish was moved into the 1st Judicial District with Caddo Parish. Roberts thereafter engaged in his law practice in Shreveport with his son, Roberts Roberts, III, a number designation later used by Judge Roberts's grandson.<ref name=chambers/>