Who Was Roberts Anyway!

May 29, 1998

Who was Roberts, Anyway?

?“Henry Martyn Robert was an engineering officer in the regular Army. Without warning he was asked to preside over a church meeting and realized that he did not know how. He tried anyway and his embarrassment was supreme. This event, which may seem familiar to many readers, left him determined never to attend another meeting until he knew something of parliamentary law.

Ultimately, he discovered and studied the few books then available on the subject. From time to time, due to his military duties, he was transferred to various parts of the United States where he found virtual parliamentary anarchy since each member from a different part of the country had differing ideas of correct procedure. To bring order out of chaos he decided to write Robert's Rules of Order as it came to be called. (First Edition February 1876)

The ninth, current, edition has been brought about through a process of keeping the book up to date with the growth of parliamentary procedure. All editions of the work issued after the death of the original author have been the work of persons who either knew and worked with the original author or knew and worked with persons who did. ?“ From the Official Roberts Rules of Order web site www.robertsrules.com/history

So now you know. See you at the meeting!