Robert L. Caruthers
Encyclopedia
Robert Looney Caruthers was a distinguished attorney and politician who was elected governor
of the state
of Tennessee
. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon, Tennessee
.
and educator. He served as the Tennessee
state attorney general
(1827-1832), and after as a member of the Tennessee state legislature
and the United States Congress
. He and his brother, Abraham Caruthers, founded Cumberland School of Law
, in Lebanon, Tennessee
, which is one of the oldest law schools in the United States, by formalizing an arrangement between it and Cumberland University
. During the 1960s Cumberland University sold Cumberland Law School to Samford University
in Birmingham, Alabama
.
when the Confederate
states controlled Tennessee
in 1863. However, by the time that he was to have been inaugurated, the Confederate Government controlled a relatively small portion of Tennessee, so he never actually served or was inaugurated as governor. Therefore, Caruthers is not counted in official lists of those who served as governor of Tennessee. But the fact that he was elected is one reason for discrepancies in reference works, which state the number of people have served as governor of Tennessee.
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
.
Career
Caruthers had a distinguished career as an attorneyLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and educator. He served as the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
state attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
(1827-1832), and after as a member of the Tennessee state legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
and the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. He and his brother, Abraham Caruthers, founded Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
, in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, which is one of the oldest law schools in the United States, by formalizing an arrangement between it and Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
. During the 1960s Cumberland University sold Cumberland Law School to Samford University
Samford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
.
Governorship
Caruthers was elected during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
when the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
states controlled Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1863. However, by the time that he was to have been inaugurated, the Confederate Government controlled a relatively small portion of Tennessee, so he never actually served or was inaugurated as governor. Therefore, Caruthers is not counted in official lists of those who served as governor of Tennessee. But the fact that he was elected is one reason for discrepancies in reference works, which state the number of people have served as governor of Tennessee.