Robert Watson Landry (June 22, 1922 – November 13, 2017) was an American lawyer, judge, and Democratic politician. He served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the east side of the city of Milwaukee and went on to serve 35 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County.
Robert W. Landry | |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee circuit, branch 6 | |
| In office August 1, 1978 – August 1, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Transitioned from 2nd circ. |
| Succeeded by | George W. Greene Jr. |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 2nd circuit, branch 6 | |
| In office November 24, 1959 – July 31, 1978 | |
| Appointed by | Gaylord Nelson |
| Preceded by | Francis X. Swietlik |
| Succeeded by | Transitioned to Milwaukee circ. |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 1st district | |
| In office January 1, 1951 – June 1954 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas A. Hickey |
| Succeeded by | Edward F. Mertz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 22, 1922 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 2017 (aged 95) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Vera Katherine
(m. 1951; died 2002) |
| Children | 3 sons |
| Education | |
| Profession | lawyer, judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Biography edit
Landry was born in Madison, Wisconsin.[1] He attended school in Atwater, Wisconsin, and Shorewood, Wisconsin, before graduating from the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin Law School. During World War II, Landry served in the United States Navy. He died on November 13, 2017, at the age of 95.[2]
Political career edit
Landry was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1950, representing Milwaukee County's 1st Assembly district (the 1st and 3rd wards of the city of Milwaukee). He was re-elected in 1952.
During his second term in the Assembly, he ran for and won election to a judgeship on the Milwaukee Civil Court. He served in that role until he was appointed to the Wisconsin circuit court judgeship in November 1959, to replace Francis X. Swietlik, who had resigned.[3][4] He subsequently served 35 years as a circuit court judge. In 1977 he ran for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but was defeated by William G. Callow.[5][6]
Electoral history edit
Wisconsin Supreme Court (1977) edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan Primary, February 15, 1977 (top-two) | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Robert W. Landry | 133,732 | 45.00% | ||
| Nonpartisan | William G. Callow | 102,371 | 34.45% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Trayton L. Lathrop | 61,058 | 20.55% | ||
| Total votes | 297,161 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, April 5, 1977 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | William G. Callow | 415,533 | 53.59% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Robert W. Landry | 359,873 | 46.41% | ||
| Plurality | 55,660 | 7.18% | |||
| Total votes | 775,406 | 100.0% | |||
References edit
- ^ "Members of the Assembly". Wisconsin Blue Book. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Judge Robert Watson Landry". Legacy.com.
- ^ "Judge Landry Gets Circuit Court Post". Wisconsin State Journal. November 25, 1959. p. 8. Retrieved November 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "He Believes in the 12-Person Jury". The La Crosse Tribune. March 27, 1977. p. 6. Retrieved June 24, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Thompson School Chief Again; Callow Is Justice". The La Crosse Tribune. April 6, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1977). "Elections" (PDF). The State of Wisconsin 1977 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 856, 859. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
