Betty Roberts

Infobox Judge
name = Betty R. Roberts


imagesize =
caption =
office = 83rd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
termstart = 1982
termend = 1986
nominator =
appointer = Victor G. Atiyeh
predecessor = Thomas Tongue
successor = W. Michael Gillette
office2 = Judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals
termstart2 = 1977
termend2 = 1982
nominator2 =
appointer2 = Robert W. Straub
predecessor2 =
successor2 =
birthdate = Birth date and age|1923|2|5|mf=y
birthplace = Kansas
deathdate =
deathplace =
spouse = Keith D. Skelton

Betty R. Roberts (born February 5 1923) is an American politician and former judge in the state of Oregon. She was the 90th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, the highest state court in Oregon. She was the first woman on the Oregon Supreme Court, and had also been the first woman on the Oregon Court of Appeals. A Kansas native, Roberts had previously been elected to both chambers of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, but lost bids for the governor's office and United States Senate. As of 2007 she was mediator and senior judge. In 2008, her autobiography, "With Grit and By Grace," was published by Oregon State University Press.

Early life

Roberts was born in Kansas in 1923Betty Roberts. "Statesman Journal", March 25 2007.] and grew up in Texas during the Great Depression of the 1930s. [http://www.abanet.org/women/bios/roberts.pdf ABA: 2006 Margaret Brent Awards: Betty Roberts.] American Bar Association. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] In Texas she graduated from high school and then attended Texas Wesleyan College in Ft. Worth for one year starting in 1940. [http://www.newleadershiporegon.org/documents/BettyRobertsResume.DOC The Honorable Betty Roberts Former Oregon Supreme Court Justice.] NEW Leadership Oregon. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] She married Bill Rice, a young soldier from Oregon during World War II.

By the 1950s Roberts lived in Oregon where she was a mother of four children, Sharon Dian Rice (Odell), John W. Rice, Jr., Jo Retta Rice and Randy G. Rice. She enrolled at Eastern Oregon College for one year, and then enrolled in Portland State College where she graduated in 1958 with a bachelor of science degree in education. From 1958 to 1967 Roberts taught high school in the Portland, Oregon area before moving on to teach business law and political science at Mt. Hood Community College from 1967 to 1976. She and Bill Rice divorced in 1960. In 1960 she became a member of the Lynch Elementary School District school board, remaining until 1966. Roberts then went on to earn a masters degree in political science from the University of Oregon in 1962. Next, Roberts attended Lewis & Clark College’s law school where she graduated in 1966 with her JD. She earned her degree while attending evening classes. During this time she also taught high school and successfully ran for a seat in Oregon’s House of Representatives. During this time, she was married to Frank L. Roberts for four years. She was married to Keith Skelton from 1968 until his death in 1995.

Politics

Elected in 1964 to the Oregon House as a Democrat from Multnomah County, Roberts won re-election in 1966. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1965reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (53rd) 1965 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1967reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (54th) 1967 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] Then in 1968 she won election to the Oregon Senate. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1969reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (55th) 1969 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] That same year she married fellow legislator Keith D. Skelton. She was the only woman in the Oregon Senate. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1971reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (56th) 1971 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] In 1972 Betty was re-elected to the Senate. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1973reg.ht Oregon Legislative Assembly (57th) 1973 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1977reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (59th) 1977 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 22 2008.]

In 1974 Roberts ran for governor, but lost in the primary. Later that year she was picked by the Democratic Party to run in the general election in an unsuccessful bid for the United States Senate against incumbent Bob Packwood. In 1975, she was named the Education Citizen of the Year Award by the Oregon Education Association and the Woman of the Year by the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus. The next year the Oregon Conference of Seventh Day Adventists gave her their Liberty Award. During this time Roberts also served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968, 1972, and 1976 while practicing law at the firm Skelton & Roberts from 1967 to 1977. Also in 1976 she served as the Oregon chairperson for Jimmy Carter’s Presidential campaign.

Judicial career

On September 1 1977, Oregon Governor Robert W. Straub appointed Betty Roberts to the Oregon Court of Appeals to a new position along with W. Michael Gillette. [http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections24.htm Oregon Blue Book: Governors of Oregon.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] [http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections28.htm Oregon Blue Book: Oregon Court of Appeals Judges.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] Roberts was the first woman on that court then won election to a full term in 1978 and resigned on February 8 1982. [http://www.abanet.org/women/margaretbrent/pasthonorees.html Previous Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award Recipients.] American Bar Association. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] when she was appointed by Governor Victor G. Atiyeh to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace the retiring Thomas Tongue. [http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections27.htm Oregon Blue Book: Supreme Court Justices of Oregon.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 22 2008.] Roberts was the first woman on the state’s highest court. While on the bench Roberts was recognized by both the University of Oregon and Portland State University for distinguished service. She then won election to a full six-year term in 1982 before resigning on February 7 1986.

Later years

In 1986, Oregon's Mary Leonard Law Society for women attorneys gave Roberts their Distinguished Service Award, and the following year the Oregon State Bar Association granted her an Award of Merit with the Oregon American Civil Liberties Union awarding her a Civil Liberties Award. From 1988 to 1991 she was a visiting professor in political science at Oregon State University. In 1988, she received recognition from Portland State University, Oregon State University, and Lewis & Clark Law School. Roberts was given the award bearing her name from the Oregon Women Lawyers in 1992. She earned the E.B. MacNaughton Civil Liberties Award from the ACLU in 2004. In 2006, the American Bar Association awarded her the Margaret Brent Award from its Commission on Women in the Profession. [ABA honors Betty Roberts. "Portland Business Journal", August 9 2006.] As of 2007, Roberts serves as a mediator in the Portland area. Betty Roberts is also a senior judge in Oregon, subject to recall to serve as a temporary judge. [ [http://bluebook.state.or.us/state/judicial/judicial29.htm Oregon Blue Book: Senior Judges.] Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 22 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.lclark.edu/dept/lawalum/objects/aa.pdf The Living History of Women in the Law]