Robert Henry Gittins (December 14, 1869 – December 25, 1957) was an American lawyer, newspaper publisher and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He served one term in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1913 to 1915.

Life

Gittins was born in

Oswego, New York Oswego () is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in Upstate New York, about 35 miles (55km) northwest of Syracuse. It promotes itself as "The Port C ...

and attended St. Paul's Academy there. He engaged in the lumber, grain, and coal business and graduated from

University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a Public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of C ...

in 1900.

Early career

He was admitted to the bar in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and

the same year and commenced the practice of law at

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...

, in 1901. Gittins was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(47th D.) in

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

and

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

; and a delegate to the

1912 Democratic National Convention The 1912 Democratic National Convention was held at the Fifth Regiment Armory off North Howard Street in Baltimore from June 25 to July 2, 1912. The Convention The convention was held at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore from June 25 t ...

Congress

Gittins was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

63rd United States Congress The 63rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1913, to ...

, holding office from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1915.

Later career and death

Gittins was owner and publisher of the ''Niagara Falls Journal'' from 1914 to 1918; and was Postmaster of Niagara Falls from October 16, 1916, to January 21, 1920. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law, and was appointed commissioner of the

Niagara Falls State Park Niagara Falls State Park is located in the City of Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York, United States. The park, recognized as the oldest state park in the United States, contains the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and a portion of ...

in 1918, serving until 1940. Gittins moved to New York City in 1923 and continued the practice of law until 1956. He resided in

Sloatsburg, New York Sloatsburg is a village in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York, United States. Located east of Orange County, it is at the southern entrance to Harriman State Park. The population was 3,039 at the 2010 census. The village is named a ...

, until his death at Tuxedo Memorial Hospital in Tuxedo Park on December 25, 1957.

References

* *New York Times
Robert Gittins, Lawyer, Was 87; Retired Corporation Expert Dies--Served in House and in State Senate
December 26, 1957 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gittins, Robert H 1869 births 1957 deaths University of Michigan Law School alumni Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Niagara Falls, New York Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Politicians from Oswego, New York People from Sloatsburg, New York