Robert Elmer Woodside, Jr. (June 4, 1904March 18, 1998) was an American politician and judge. He served four terms as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, one term as Attorney General, and one term on the Superior Court.

Early life

Woodside was born in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Robert E. and Ella Neitz Woodside. He attended

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

, where he was a member of the Raven's Claw Society, graduating in 1926. He received a law degree from

Dickinson School of Law Penn State Dickinson Law, formerly Dickinson School of Law, is a public law school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is one of two separately accredited law schools of The Pennsylvania State University. According to Penn State Dickinson Law's 2019 ...

in 1928. He married F. Fairlee Habbart in 1931, and they had three children.

Political career

Early political career

He was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 1932 and served four terms, until 1941. From 1939 to 1941, he was Republican Floor Leader. He was then appointed a judge on the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas, where he served until he was appointed state Attorney General in 1951. He was appointed in 1953 to fill a vacancy on the state Superior Court. He was elected to a full ten-year term in 1954 and lost his 1964 bid for re-election.

Slot machine raids

Slot machines were illegal in Pennsylvania under an 1805 law, prohibiting mechanical gambling devices. Still, slot machines were popular at political clubs as fundraisers. In 1951, President Harry Truman signed legislation banning the interstate transportation of slot machines in violation of state law. Woodside, with Pennsylvania Governor

John S. Fine John Sydney Fine (April 10, 1893 – May 21, 1978) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A Republican, he served as the 35th governor of Pennsylvania from 1951 to 1955. Early life Fine was born in Newport Township, Pennsylvania, ...

's encouragement, undertook an enforcement campaign against the machines. The first state Attorney General to do so, Woodside sent the State Police on thousands of raids when local district attorneys refused to co-operate. Over 700 clubs folded after their slot machines had been destroyed. In Erie, the mayor, the police chief, and twelve others were found guilty in 1954 of bribery and conspiracy regarding the machines.

Later political career

Woodside was appointed in 1953 to fill a vacancy on the state Superior Court. He was elected to a full ten-year term in 1954 but lost his 1964 bid for re-election. In 1962, Woodside had been drafted to run for state governor. US Senator Hugh Scott strongly opposed Woodside and ran in opposition but withdrew when party leaders backed William Scranton, then relatively unknown.

Later career

Woodside was an adjunct professor at Dickinson School of Law (1970-1990). He was a partner in the law firm Mette, Evans & Woodside.

Death

He died on vacation in

Sun City, Arizona Sun City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, that is located within the Phoenix metropolitan area. The population was 39,931 as of the 2020 United Sta ...

Bibliography

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodside, Robert Elmer, Jr. 1904 births 1998 deaths Politicians from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Dickinson College alumni Dickinson College faculty Pennsylvania attorneys general Pennsylvania Republicans 20th-century American politicians