Bert Linus Stafford (December 14, 1877 – July 29, 1941) was an American attorney and politician from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was most notable for his service in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

from 1906 to 1908, as

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

Rutland County Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572, making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland. H ...

from 1910 to 1915, and as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

from 1915 to 1917. He was the father of Vermont governor and U.S. Senator

Robert Stafford Robert Theodore Stafford (August 8, 1913 – December 23, 2006) was an American politician from Vermont. In his lengthy political career, he served as the 71st governor of Vermont, a United States representative, and a U.S. Senator. A Republic ...

Early life

Bert L. Stafford was born in

Tinmouth, Vermont Tinmouth is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 553 at the 2020 census. History Tinmouth was established in 1761 in a region that came to be known as the New Hampshire Grants. At the first U.S. census, the t ...

on December 14, 1877, the son of Daniel Bartlett and Mary M. (Valentine) Stafford. He attended the schools of Tinmouth, Wallingford High School, and the Rutland Institute. He then began attendance at

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

, from which he graduated in 1901 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree. Stafford was the president of his senior class and a member of the

Delta Upsilon Delta Upsilon (), commonly known as DU, is a collegiate men's fraternity founded on November 4, 1834 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is the sixth-oldest, all-male, college Greek Letter Organizations#Greek letters, Greek-let ...

fraternity.

Start of career

After his graduation, Stafford joined the teaching service organized by the

United States Office of Education The Office of Education, at times known as the Department of Education and the Bureau of Education, was a small unit in the Federal Government of the United States within the U.S. Department of the Interior from 1867 to 1972. It is now separated i ...

to provide instruction to students in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

following the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

. Stafford taught students in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

from 1901 to 1904, when he returned to Vermont to recuperate after contracting

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

. Upon returning to Vermont, Stafford studied law at the Rutland office of Lawrence and Lawrence. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in October 1906, and became a partner in the firm of Lawrence, Lawrence and Stafford. The firm was later reorganized with Asa S. Bloomer as a partner, and operated as Lawrence, Stafford and Bloomer.

Continued career

, Stafford represented Tinmouth in the

from 1906 to 1908. From 1910 to 1915, he served as

. He later moved to Rutland, and he served as

from 1915 to 1917. During World War I, Stafford served on the

draft board {{further, Conscription in the United StatesDraft boards are a part of the Selective Service System which register and select men of military age in the event of conscription in the United States. Local board The local draft board is a board th ...

for the district which included Rutland. Stafford was involved in several Rutland-area businesses, including serving as president and a director of the Rutland County National Bank, trustee of the Marble Savings Bank, and director of the Cahee House Furnishing Company. Stafford was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and member of the Rutland

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

. In addition, he was a member and president of both the county and

state bar association A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent the attorneys practicing law in a particular U.S. state. Their functions differ from state to state, but often include administration of the state bar examination fo ...

s. He served on the state board of education for nearly twenty years, and was its chairman for six.

Embezzlement case

In December 1936, Stafford, Governor

Charles Manley Smith Charles Manley Smith (August 3, 1868 – August 12, 1937) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 59th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1933 to 1935 and 63rd governor of Vermont from 1935 to 1937. Life and career Smith wa ...

, president of the Marble Savings Bank, and other bank officials were charged with fraud for failing to inform account holders and authorities about an embezzlement. In May, 1932 Smith had learned that the bank's bookkeeper, John J. Cocklin, had stolen $251,000 (about $5.2 million in 2022). Smith let him leave quietly, kept the theft secret, and charged the loss against the bank's surplus. In July, 1935 Cocklin was named Rutland's assistant city treasurer and planned a candidacy for treasurer. To prevent this, his opponents leaked word of his theft to the press. Cocklin was convicted and jailed, and the bank's treasurer received a sentence of six months imprisonment, which was suspended, and a $400 fine. Smith was acquitted at his trial, while charges against Stafford and the other parties were dismissed.

Death and burial

Stafford began to experience declining health in the 1930s, and suffered three heart attacks. His health improved each time to the point where he was able to resume working. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Rutland on July 29, 1941. Stafford was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Rutland.

Family

In November 1911, Stafford married Mabel Rose Stratton of

Linesville, Pennsylvania Linesville is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 964 at the 2020 census, down from 987 at the 2019 census. The town derives its name from its founder ...

(1883-1976). They were the parents of three children: Robert Theodore (1913–2006), Thomas Bartlett (1916–1990), and Shirley Ruth (1917–2003).

Robert Theodore Stafford Robert Theodore Stafford (August 8, 1913 – December 23, 2006) was an American politician from Vermont. In his lengthy political career, he served as the 71st governor of Vermont, a United States representative, and a U.S. Senator. A Republic ...

was an attorney and politician who served as

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

and a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

. Thomas Stafford was businessman who served as executive vice president of the

Vermont Marble Company The Vermont Marble Museum or Vermont Marble Exhibit is a museum commemorating the contributions of Vermont marble and the Vermont Marble Company, located in Proctor, Vermont, United States. The museum is located in a wing of one of the former Verm ...

and was a member of the

. Shirley Ruth Stafford was a Rutland-area

real estate broker A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stafford, Bert L. 1877 births 1941 deaths People from Tinmouth, Vermont People from Rutland (city), Vermont Middlebury College alumni Vermont lawyers Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives State's attorneys in Vermont American bank presidents Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Rutland, Vermont)