罗伯特。米. 瓦格斯塔夫

律师/立法者，文学士1913

罗伯特•瓦格斯塔夫, 律师, 立法委员, 保育人士, 牧场主, and historian was an influential force 在阿比林 life for more than six decades, following a tradition of community service established by his father.

罗伯特·麦卡尔平·瓦格斯塔夫出生于9月2日, 1892, 在阿比林, 德州, 约翰·迈尔斯和贝西·瓦格斯塔夫. 他的父亲, 布法罗盖普长老会学院前校长, 1890年开始在阿比林执业, 成立了罗伯特后来领导的律师事务所.

Robert attended Abilene public schools and graduated from Simmons College Academy in 1913 with a bachelor of arts degree. 1912年，他还是西蒙斯大学的学生, he became scoutmaster of the first organized Boy Scout troop 在阿比林.

In 1913, Robert began law school at the University of 德州. 在奥斯汀的时候, 他加入了德克萨斯旅, 在1916年, 一个月后他就要从法学院毕业了, he was called to active duty on the border during the raids of Pancho Villa. He received his law degree in absentia and was admitted to the bar in 1916.

瓦格斯塔夫 is credited with initially advancing and pushing the idea that Abilene seek a military base. As World War I neared, this idea grew into the establishment of Camp Barkeley. He later worked on the project that produced Dyess Air Force Base.

当第一次世界大战爆发时, 瓦格斯塔夫, 当时是陆军上尉, 被派回阿比林组织第一公司, 第七德州步兵团, 当地国民警卫队的前身. 瓦格斯塔夫 commanded the unit during training and while overseas until he was transferred to other combat duty.

在欧洲服役后, 瓦格斯塔夫 retired as a major and returned to Abilene to join his father in law practice.

瓦格斯塔夫 married 德州 Orms on February 14, 1931, and the couple had two children, Marnie and John.

He served in the legislature for two consecutive terms from 1931 to 1935. During the East 德州 oil boom he helped write conservation statutes that brought stability to the oil and gas industry. 他写作并赞助, 还有科尔曼参议员沃尔特·伍德沃德, 《瓦格斯塔夫-伍德沃德水资源优先法案, 哪一个仍然有效.

瓦格斯塔夫 also authored the legislation that set up the state assumption of local road bonds, 为现代公路系统奠定了基础.

He also sponsored a bill setting aside land in Big Bend for a state park, an action that made possible the present Big Bend National Park. 他是水资源开发项目的领导者, and was an ardent booster of the proposal to import water from the Mississippi for dry West 德州. He was honored for his pioneering efforts to reclaim sandy “shinnery” wasteland by replacing the natural shin oak with grasses sown from airplanes.

一个非专业的历史学家, he wrote articles on West 德州 history for publications and delivered papers to such groups as the West 德州 Historical Association. He was a prime mover in the effort to identify historical sites through the local Historical Survey Committee.

瓦格斯塔夫 taught business administration at Hardin-Simmons from 1947 to 1951, 为这门课写一本教科书.

A reserved man, 瓦格斯塔夫 quietly made three unsuccessful bids for Congress in 1944, 1946, and 1960. He was a delegate to the national Democratic convention in Chicago in 1952 and represented the 24th Senatorial District on the state Democratic executive committee from 1954 to 1956. As a conservative, he joined Governor Allan Shivers in support of Republican Dwight D. 艾森豪威尔.

Professionally, he held offices which placed him in Who’s Who of America. He was a member of the 德州 Civil Judicial Council from 1953 to 1959. He served on the Import Policy Committee of the Independent Petroleum Association of America from 1954 to 1957 and the Legal Committee of the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association from 1955 to 1958. 他是美国遗嘱认证律师学院的研究员, 泰勒县律师协会主席, and director of the West Central 德州 Oil and Gas Association.

作为一个牧场主, 瓦格斯塔夫 served on the 德州 and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, 绵羊和山羊饲养者协会, 以及美国农业局.

He was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, 一个梅森, 圣殿骑士, 和一个朝圣者.

瓦格斯塔夫于4月9日在阿比林去世, 1973, having left a legacy of civic involvement that shaped his community.

It is the high honor of Hardin-Simmons University to recognize one of her own and to formally induct 罗伯特。米cAlpine 瓦格斯塔夫 into the HSU 领袖堂.