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a century administered his high office with County. He then removed to Alleghany distinction. City, which place he kept as a domicile until Robert Cooper Grier was born on March 1848, when he took up his residence in Phila 5, 1794, in Cumberland county, Pennsylva delphia. nia. He was the eldest of eleven children. This appointment seems to have been un His father, the Rev. Isaac Grier, a Presby solicited. It was made because of his pro terian clergyman, eked out an existence by fessional eminence. His practice had been preaching to three congregations, running a lucrative and extensive from the beginning farm and keeping a grammar school. He His ability and great fidelity to his clients was a good Greek and Latin scholar, and were immediately recognized and appreciated grounded his oldest son so thoroughly in the by the community. It is said, too, that de classics, that to the end of his life the spite his pressing need for money, his ben learned justice read his testament in the evolence was such, that he took and carried Greek. It is easy to picture the son's boy on many cases for indigent clients without hood of hard work aud hard study, in a rémunération. During these years he also sparsely settled rural district, until 1811, supported his mother, and brothers and sis when he entered the junior class of Dickin ters, and gave the latter a liberal education. son College. There, sixteen years before, his Consider for a moment the courage and distinguished Chief upon the Supreme Court large heartedness of a man who could as of the United States had graduated. sume such a burden. This noble act com pels admiration and disposes one's favorable For the next thirty-three years we have judgment. It was not, therefore, until 1829 very few facts and dates. They are un that he found himself at liberty to marry. interesting and will be set down as succinctly His wife was Miss Isabella Rose, whose as possible. father owned an extensive estate on the Upon the completion of his course in 1812, banks of Lycoming Creek, which later came the future justice remained at the college for into the possession of Mr. Justice Grier. a year as an instructor. He then returned There he yearly took his recreation with his to his home in order to help his father con trout rod, accompanied by intimate friends. duct the institution, which under his presi Mr. Justice Grier's eminent fitness for the dency, had grown from an academy to a col lege. This was in Northumberland County, . place on the Supreme Court of the United States, made vacant by the death of Mr. Jus whither the Griers had moved in 1806. The tice Baldwin in 1844, was conspicuous. For father died in 1815, and Robert Grier suc ceeded to the presidency of the college. twenty years he had been prominent at the bar. For six years he had made an enviable There he taught chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, Greek, Latin, and went fishing. record as a judge. He had the entire con In addition he studied law. In 1817 he was fidence of the bar of his court, and its affec admitted to the bar and began practice in tion to a distinguished degree. His influ Bloomsburg, Columbia County. One of ence with and reputation in the community, were such that his charges to juries dis two facts is sufficiently patent. Either Robert posed of the cases upon questions of fact. Grier was a genius, or a very slight smat His name was sent to the Senate on Aug tering of law passed muster. In 1818 he ust 4. 1846. by President Polk, and the moved to Danville, in the same county, following day his nomination was confirmed. where he resided until, on May 4, 1838, he He sat upon the Supreme Court of the was appointed, by Governor Wolf, President United States for over twenty-three years, Judge of the District Court of Alleghany