Robert C. Underwood (October 27, 1915 – March 30, 1988) was an American jurist.
Born in
Gardner, Illinois, Underwood received his bachelor's degree from
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
in 1937 and his bachelor's degree from
University of Illinois College of Law
The University of Illinois College of Law (Illinois Law or UIUC Law) is the law school of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a public university in Champaign, Illinois. It was established in 1897 and offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. ...
in 1939. Underwood practiced law in
Normal, Illinois
Normal is a town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 52,736. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, and Illinois' seventh mos ...
. Underwood served as Normal City Attorney and as circuit court judge for
McLean County, Illinois
McLean County is the largest county by land area in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 169,572. Its county seat is Bloomington. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, IL Metropoli ...
. He also served as an assistant state's attorney for McLean County. Underwood was a
Republican. Underwood served on the
Illinois Supreme Court from 1962 until his retirement in 1984. He served as chief justice from 1969 until 1976, longer than any other jurist. Underwood died of a heart attack at his home in Normal, Illinois.
['Retired Chief Justice Underwood,' Chicago Tribune, Kenan Heise and Daniel Engler, Chicago Tribune, March 31, 1988]
Notes
1915 births
1988 deaths
People from Gardner, Illinois
People from Normal, Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan University alumni
University of Illinois College of Law alumni
Illinois Republicans
Illinois state court judges
Chief Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court
20th-century American judges
Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court
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