Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas Robert Tyler McCluggage Bio

BUTLER COUNTY'S EIGHTY YEARS BIOS

ROBERT TYLER McCLUGGAGE

(Transcribed by Lori DeWinkler)

Robert Tyler McCluggage, first assistant United States District Attorney for Kansas, was born in Butler County on June 15, 1890, and probably has crowded as much of brilliant and worthwhile achievement into forty-four years of life as has any citizen of this state.

Besides this successful and outstanding career as a private attorney, Mr. McCluggage has served with distinction in numerous fields. He fought in the World War, is a former chairman of the Butler County Democrat Central Committee and counsel for the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation; former county attorney for Butler County for four terms; former city attorney and police judge of El Dorado; past president of the El Dorado Board of Education and a past district governor of the Lions clubs of Kansas.

Mr. Cluggage was one of five children of James and Jennie Hazen (McMillian) McCluggage. He passed his early years in the healthy environment of a prosperous farm home, was graduated in 1908 from Douglass High School and attended Fairmount College, now the Municipal University of Wichita, graduating in 1911 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. During his college training he won a fellowship at the University of Kansas and was graduated with the degree of Master of Arts in 1912, having specialized in history and political science. He taught history in Beloit (Kansas) High School, then returned to University of Kansas to complete his education in law and opened his first law office in Augusta in 1916. He was elected Butler County attorney the same year.

In June 1918, Mr. McCluggage left his law practice to enlist in the United States Army. After training at Camp Funston and Camp Dodge for sixty days, he was sent overseas. He was there nine months serving as an instructor after the Armistice at theA. E. F. University at Beaune. He returned to the United States in May, 1919.

During his service overseas he was re-elected to the office of county attorney, took the oath of office while in France and assumed his official duties upon his return. He served two terms and then resumed private practice as a member of the firm of Leland, Bond and McCluggage. Since leaving this public office in January, 1927, he has been fully occupied with private law practice, with offices in the Hoyt Building.

Mr. McCluggage for three years was president of the El Dorado Lions Club. He was then elected District Governor for the state, and while governor he visited thirty-two clubs and assisted in organizing ten new ones. He is also a member of the American Legion and of the Christian Church.

In April, 1934, Mr. McCluggage was urged to become a candidate for governor of Kansas, and influential men of Butler County and elsewhere, both Democrats and Republicans, were ready to form a McCluggage-for-Governor club. The argument was that, regardless of party politics, no better man could be found for the office. The Butler County News declared:

“R. T. McCluggage is unquestionably one of the brightest and most capable young men in the Democratic party. He has a winning personality. His past record having served overseas. He has a large acquaintance and following over the state. He is a native Kansan. He believes in law enforcement. Mr. McCluggage is a teetotaler. He is honest, sincere and unafraid. He would be elected and would make a great executive for the state of Kansas, at a time when Kansas needs him.”

But Mr. McCluggage declined, gratefully but decisively, to be a candidate. His appointment as first assistant United States district attorney for Kansas followed a short while after. However, he maintains law offices in El Dorado, with Attorney Clem H. Silvers representing his interests. Although officially residing in Topeka, the family having moved to that city in August, 1934, he retains El Dorado as his legal residence and maintains his interest in his old home town and county and will continue to do so.

On October 12, 1921, Mr. McCluggage was married to Miss Velma McCosh, of Wichita, who was educated in the Dickinson County High School at Chapman,Kansas, and the Topeka Business College. Since her marriage, Mrs. McCluggage has been one of El Dorado’s most gracious hostesses and a leader in many community enterprises, notably the Parent-Teacher Association. She furnished, equipped and for four years, assisted by Mrs. Stanley Taylor, had charge of the El Dorado Christian Church kindergarten, maintaining the department in memory of her little daughter, Marydee, whose death occurred June 4, 1930. A silver lacquered memorial plate engraved “In Memory of Marydee”, is placed above the entranceway. Mr. and Mrs. McCluggage will continue to contribute a regular fund for maintenance of this department. Mrs. McCluggage served as president of the Mother’s Club and was a member of the group of Lionesses that contributed materially toward the success of the El Dorado Lions Club. She is a member of the P. E. O.

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. McCluggage, Roberta Sue, born September 18, 1923; Marydee, born January 31, 1925 and Denise Tyler, born January 20, 1927.