Robert Randolph Casey (July 27, 1915 – April 17, 1986) was a member of the

United States 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 ...

. He was a Democrat from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

Early life

Casey was born in

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jas ...

, but moved to

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, as a teenager, attending the city's San Jacinto High School. Casey earned his undergraduate degree from the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

and

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...

from the South Texas College of Law. In 1940, he was admitted to the bar and set up a private practice in

Alvin, Texas Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city population was 27,098. Alvin's claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Rya ...

. Two years later, he became the city attorney.

Political career

In 1943, Casey returned to Houston to become Harris County's assistant district attorney. Casey first ran for office in 1948 when he was able to earn a seat in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

, representing the 24th district (

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

). However, he chose not to run for reelection to this post, instead spending the next eight years as Harris County Judge (equivalent to a county executive). He was also an administrator at

South Texas College South Texas College (STC) is a public community college in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Bachelor of Applied Technology, ...

. Casey was elected to the United States House in 1958 in the newly created 22nd district. He defeated the

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 ...

Thomas Everton Kennerly, Sr. (1903-2000) by 43,660 (61.7%) to 23,317 (33%). ''Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections'', Vol. 2, U.S. House, 6th ed. (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc. 2010), p. 1260 (Kennerly subsequently went on to be his party's gubernatorial nominee in 1966 against John B. Connally, Jr.) Casey was a member of the House Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on the Post Office and the Civil Service. In 1976, he left the House after his appointment to the Federal Maritime Commission by President

Gerald R. Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

. He later returned to the practice of law for several years prior to his death. Casey died in Houston on April 17, 1986. He is buried at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston.

Memorials

The Bob Casey Federal Courthouse, housing the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (in case citations, S.D. Tex.) is the federal district court with jurisdiction over the southeastern part of Texas. The court's headquarters is in Houston, Texas and has six ...

at 515 Rusk Street in Houston, is named after Bob Casey.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Robert R. 1915 births 1986 deaths Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas state court judges Texas lawyers University of Houston alumni South Texas College of Law alumni Politicians from Joplin, Missouri Federal Maritime Commission members Politicians from Houston Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges People from Alvin, Texas 20th-century American lawyers