Robert Young Button
| Robert Young Button | |
|---|---|
| 30th Attorney General of Virginia | |
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In office January 1962 – January 1970 |
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| Preceded by | Frederick Thomas Gray |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Pickens Miller |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 27th district |
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In office 1945–1961 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | November 2, 1899 Culpeper, Virginia |
| Died |
September 1, 1977 (aged 77) Culpeper, Virginia |
| Spouse(s) | Kathleen Mary Antoinette Cheape |
| Children | Robert Young Button, Jr; Kathleen Button Ginn |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia |
Robert Thomas Button (November 2, 1899 – September 1, 1977) served two terms as Attorney General of Virginia, as well as a fifteen years as Virginia State Senator. Button rose through the ranks of the Byrd Organization and became one of its leading members as it ultimately crumbled as a result of the Massive Resistance crisis.
Born on November 2, 1899, in Culpeper County, Virginia, to John Young Button (farmer and traveling hardware salesman), and his wife the former Margaret Agnes Duncan, Button attended the local public schools and graduated from Culpeper High School in 1917. He then attended the University of Virginia for five years and received an undergraduate and law (LL.B.) degree in 1922. He was a member of the prestigious Raven Society and Order of the Coif. On August 20, 1931, Button married nurse Kathleen Mary Antoinette Cheape (1907-2007), who converted him to the Episcopal Church, and they would have a son and a daughter.
Button became a member of the Virginia Bar in 1922 and practiced law for a decade before beginning his public career. During this initial time he first became active in his community and the Shenandoah Valley through the Rotary Club and other organizations. A member of the American Bar Association, Button later became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and American Judicature Society.
The 1933 election campaign began Button's politically activity within the Byrd Organization. He successively served on the newly formed Probation and Parole Agency (1942 to 1945 when it was merged into the newly created Virginia Department of Corrections), Virginia State Board of Education (1945 to 1960) and Potomac River Commission (1958). During the 1950s Button also served as a trustee of the Jamestown Corporation with David J. Mays and others.
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