Roscoe Bolar Stephenson Jr. was born at

Covington, Virginia Covington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,737, making it the second-least populous city in Virginia. It is surrounded by Alleghany County, of which it is also the county seat. ...

on February 22, 1922. He attended the public schools of

Alleghany County, Virginia Alleghany County is an American county located on the far western edge of Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bordered by the Allegheny Mountains, from which the county derives its name, and it is the northernmost part of the Roanoke Region. The ...

and received both his B.A. (1943) and his J.D. (1947) from

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

. After being admitted to the bar in 1947, he practiced law in Covington for twenty-six years. From 1952 to 1964, he served as Commonwealth's Attorney for Alleghany County. On July 12, 1973, he was elected as a judge for the Twenty-Fifth Judicial Circuit. He stayed in that position until he was elected to the

Supreme Court of Virginia The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative ...

in February 1981. Justice Stephenson retired from active service in 1997, but continued his service to the Court as a Senior Justice until mid-2010. Justice Stephenson died on May 30, 2011 in Covington, Virginia.

References

1922 births 2011 deaths Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia Virginia lawyers Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni People from Covington, Virginia Virginia circuit court judges {{Virginia-politician-stub