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 is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

. He was a Democrat from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Early life

Casey was born in

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, 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. J ...

, but moved to

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, 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 (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

and

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the South Texas College of Law. In 1940, he was admitted to the bar and set up a private practice in Alvin, Texas. 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. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

, representing the 24th district (

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

). 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. Casey was elected to the United States House in 1958 in the newly created 22nd district. He defeated the Republican 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. 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 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 Texas state court judges People from Alvin, Texas 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Texas Legislature