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  Douglas, Robert M.
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationRepublican   
NameRobert M. Douglas
Address521 Douglas Street
Greensboro, North Carolina , United States
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born January 28, 1849
DiedFebruary 08, 1917 (68 years)
ContributorChronicler
Last ModifedChronicler
Sep 05, 2021 08:25am
Tags Catholic -
InfoRobert Martin Douglas (1849-1917) was a North Carolina Supreme Court justice and political figure. Born 1/28/1849 in Rockingham County NC, he was the son of US Sen. Stephen A. Douglas (Democrat of Illinois) and Martha Martin, originally of North Carolina. Orphaned at age 11, Robert spent a great deal of time in his mother's home state. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1867, and would later return to earn a Master's degree and a doctoral degree in law from the same university.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, he turned away from the Democratic Party to which his father had famously belonged. He believed that that party had died during the war, and so he became a prominent Republican.

During 1868, he was private secretary to the Governor of North Carolina, and from 1869 to 1873 was private secretary to President Grant.

Douglas moved to Greensboro in 1873. For the next decade, he was United States Marshal for North Carolina, while from 1888 to 1896, he served as Master in Chancery to the United States Circuit Court.

On June 23, 1874, he married Jessie Madeline Dick, daughter of Robert P. Dick. They had four children together: Madeleine Douglas (who later married Col. Edward Warren Myers), Robert Dick Douglas (1875-1960), Stephen Arnold Douglas (b. 1879), and Martin F. Douglas (b. 1886).

He was elected to the North Carolina Supreme Court as a Republican in 1896. In 1901, Justice Douglas and Chief Justice David M. Furches (also a Republican) were impeached by the Democratic-controlled North Carolina House of Representatives "for issuing an allegedly unconstitutional mandamus ordering the State Treasurer to pay out money." Neither were removed from office by the necessary two-thirds vote of the North Carolina Senate, although a simple majority of senators favored removal. Douglas served out his eight-year term and was defeated in his re-election bid.

Douglas was the Republican nominee for Corporation Commissioner in 1906 and, while losing the race, he led the Republican ticket in the mid-term election.

A frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia, he died at his home in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 8, 1917.

Greensboro Daily News, 2/9/1917

JOB APPROVAL POLLS

BOOKS
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EVENTS
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NEWS
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DISCUSSION
Importance? 0.00000 Average

FAMILY
Wife Jessie M. Dick Douglas Jun 23, 1874-
Son Robert D. Douglas 1875-1960
Son Martin Douglas 1886-1963
Father Stephen A. Douglas 1813-1861
Brother Stephen Arnold Douglas, Jr. 1850-1908
Sister Ellen Douglas 1852-1860
Sister Mary Lucie Douglas 1853-1853
Mother Martha Denny Martin Douglas 1826-1853
Father In-Law Robert P. Dick 1823-1898

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  08/10/1910 NC Chief Justice - R Convention Lost 34.36% (-13.57%)
  11/06/1906 NC Corporation Cmsn - Seat 1 Lost 38.45% (-23.09%)
  11/08/1904 NC - Asc Justice of Sup Ct Lost 38.12% (-23.77%)
  11/03/1896 NC District 03 Lost 0.11% (-58.73%)
  11/03/1896 NC - Asc Justice of Sup Ct Won 27.36% (+0.00%)
  11/03/1896 NC - Asc Justice of Sup Ct Won 100.00% (+100.00%)
ENDORSEMENTS