Robert Henry Gittins

Robert Henry Gittins (December 14, 1869 – December 25, 1957) was an American lawyer, newspaper publisher, and Democratic politician from New York who served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1915. His career reflected the intertwined worlds of law, the press, and public service in the early twentieth century, and he participated in the national legislative process during a period of significant political and social change in the United States.

Born on December 14, 1869, Gittins came of age in an era when New York was rapidly expanding in population, commerce, and political influence. Details of his early life, including his family background and childhood, are not extensively documented, but his later professional pursuits indicate that he received a solid grounding in the liberal arts and the law, preparing him for a career that would span both the legal profession and the newspaper business. Growing up in New York, he would have been exposed to the state’s vigorous political culture and the central role of newspapers in shaping public opinion.

Gittins pursued legal studies and was admitted to the bar, establishing himself as an attorney in New York. As a lawyer, he would have been engaged in the kinds of civil and commercial matters that accompanied the state’s economic growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His legal training and practice provided him with a detailed understanding of statutory interpretation, regulatory issues, and the constitutional framework of government, all of which would later inform his work as a legislator. His professional standing as a member of the bar also helped to build the local reputation and network of contacts that were essential to a political career in this period.

In addition to his legal work, Gittins became a newspaper publisher, a role that placed him at the intersection of politics, business, and public discourse. As a publisher, he would have overseen editorial content, business operations, and the day-to-day management of a newspaper at a time when print journalism was the dominant medium for news and political commentary. This experience gave him a direct channel to the public and a platform from which to engage with civic issues, advocate for policies, and shape community debates. His dual identity as lawyer and publisher underscored his familiarity with both the legal underpinnings of public policy and the practical realities of communicating those policies to citizens.

Gittins entered national politics as a member of the Democratic Party, representing New York in the U.S. House of Representatives. Elected to the Sixty-third Congress, he served from 1913 to 1915, a time marked by the progressive reforms of the Woodrow Wilson administration and major legislative initiatives affecting banking, tariffs, and federal regulation. As a Democratic representative from New York, he contributed to the legislative process during this significant period in American history, participating in debates and votes that shaped the evolving role of the federal government. In Congress he represented the interests of his constituents while working within the broader Democratic agenda of the era, which included efforts to address economic inequality, regulate business practices, and modernize the nation’s financial system.

During his single term in office, Gittins’s service reflected the responsibilities typical of a House member: consideration of national legislation, attention to the needs of his district, and engagement with party leadership on key issues. Although detailed records of his specific committee assignments or sponsored measures are limited in surviving summaries, his tenure coincided with the enactment of landmark laws such as the Federal Reserve Act and other progressive reforms, situating his congressional service within a transformative moment in federal policymaking. After completing his term in 1915, he did not return to Congress, and he resumed his professional pursuits in New York.

In his later years, Gittins continued to be identified with his principal vocations as a lawyer and newspaper publisher, and as a former member of Congress whose public service formed a notable chapter in his career. He lived through profound changes in American society, from the Progressive Era and World War I through the Great Depression, World War II, and the early years of the postwar period. Robert Henry Gittins died on December 25, 1957, closing a life that had spanned nearly nine decades and had included significant engagement with the law, the press, and the democratic process at both the state and national levels.