Robert Berkey Crosby (March 26, 1911 – January 7, 2000) was an American Republican politician who served as the 27th

governor of Nebraska The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential e ...

from 1953 to 1955. Crosby was born in North Platte, Nebraska. After attending

Hastings College Hastings College is a private Presbyterian college in Hastings, Nebraska. History The college was founded in 1882 by a group of men and women seeking to establish a Presbyterian college dedicated to high academic and cultural standards. Ha ...

, Crosby transferred to the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

. He received a B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1931 and an LL.B. degree from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1935. Crosby served in Nebraska's

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

from 1941 to 1945. He was chosen speaker of the Unicameral in 1943 and, at 31, was the youngest person ever to hold that position. After volunteering for two years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, Crosby served as Nebraska's 24th

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, from 1947 to 1949. While Lieutenant Governor, Crosby wrote "Why I Want to Get Rid of My Job." Governor Crosby, who was known as "The Boy Governor from North Platte," was particularly proud that he was a great-grandson of

John Holbrook Powers John Holbrook Powers (c. 1831–1918), who was known as "Honest John," was a Nebraska pioneer who ran for governor as a populist in 1892. Powers was born in Madison County, Illinois, and served in the Union Army in the Civil War before moving ...

. "Honest John" Powers ran for governor in Nebraska as a populist in 1892. In April 1954, Governor Crosby appointed

Eva Bowring Eva Bowring (née Kelly; January 9, 1892January 8, 1985) was a U.S. Senator from Nebraska. Bowring was born in Nevada, Missouri. In 1928, she married Arthur Bowring. They made their home at the Bowring Ranch near Merriman in Cherry County, Nebr ...

to the

U.S. Senate 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 ...

to fill out the term of the late

Dwight Griswold Dwight Palmer Griswold (November 27, 1893April 12, 1954) was an American publisher and politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He served as the 25th governor of Nebraska from 1941 to 1947, and in the United States Senate from 1952 until his ...

. In July 1954, Governor Crosby appointed

Samuel Williams Reynolds Samuel Williams Reynolds (August 11, 1890March 20, 1988) was a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska. Biography Reynolds was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 11, 1890. In 1908, he engaged in the Omaha wholesale coal business. During ...

to the

to fill out the term of the late Hugh A. Butler. Crosby was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in the Republican primary in 1954, but was defeated by

Carl T. Curtis Carl Thomas Curtis (March 15, 1905 – January 24, 2000) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He served as a Republican in the United States House of Representatives (1939–1954) and later the United States Se ...

. U.S. Senator Hazel H. Abel, who had been elected to serve the last two months of the term of the late

, resigned a few days before the end of her term, and Governor Crosby appointed Curtis to serve the remainder of her term. That gave Senator Curtis slightly more seniority than other senators elected at the same time. Gov. Crosby was also known for his speaking ability. He had the ability to adapt to his audience. His style of logical, ethical and emotional appeal was used both in political speeches and in his law practice. One of the most public aspects of his legal work was the defense of Duane Pope for murder. Crosby's speaking style using combinations of support (logical, ethical and emotional ) helped distinguish him from his colleagues ( Nykodym, 1968). Crosby called, in 1953, for the closure of the

Milford Industrial Home The Milford Industrial Home, formerly called Nebraska Maternity Home, was an institution in Milford, Nebraska, which housed unmarried pregnant women. For a while it was the only such institution in the country. It was founded by an act of the Nebras ...

, one of the few homes in the nation for unwed mothers: "I do not think that Nebraska taxpayers are so affluent that they should indulge themselves in this exceptional activity". It closed later that year. Following his service as governor, Crosby practiced law in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

, until shortly before his death in 2000. In 1971, he married

LaVon Crosby LaVon K. Crosby (April 25, 1924 – July 27, 2016) was an American politician. Born in Hastings, Nebraska, Crosby graduated from St. Cecilia's High School in Hastings, Nebraska in 1941. She graduated from University of Nebraska–Lincoln i ...

, a Nebraska state senator from 1989 to 2000. He is buried in Lincoln Memorial Park in Lincoln.

References

*A Rhetorical Analysis of the Political and Legal Speeches of Robert B. Crosby, by Gilbert F. (Nick ) Nykodym, (unpublished Master's Thesis, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1968). *"Crosby, Robert (Berkey)" in ''Current Biography 1954.'' *Crosby, Robert B. "Why I Want to get Rid of my Job." ''State Government'' 20:193-4+. July 1947. *''Nebraska Blue Book, 1954.'' (Lincoln, NE: Nebraska Legislative Council, 1954) *"Berkey & Crosby" an unpublished family history prepared by Doug Smith in 1994. , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Crosby, Robert B. Republican Party governors of Nebraska Republican Party Nebraska state senators Lieutenant Governors of Nebraska Speakers of the Nebraska Legislature Nebraska lawyers Harvard Law School alumni University of Minnesota alumni 1911 births 2000 deaths People from North Platte, Nebraska Military personnel from Nebraska 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers