View source for Robert Rowlette

{{Short description|Irish politician (1873–1944)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image         = 
| office        = [[Seanad Éireann|Senator]]
| term_start    = 27 April 1938
| term_end      = 18 August 1944
| constituency  = [[Dublin University (constituency)|Dublin University]]
| office1       = [[Teachta Dála]]
| term_start1   = [[1933 Dublin University by-election|October 1933]]
| term_end1     = [[1937 Irish general election|July 1937]]
| constituency1 = [[Dublin University (constituency)|Dublin University]]
| nationality   = [[Irish people|Irish]] 
| party         = [[Independent politician (Ireland)|Independent]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1873|10|16|df=y}}
| birth_place   = Carncash, [[County Sligo]], Ireland
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1944|10|13|1873|10|16|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Dublin]], Ireland
| alma_mater    = [[Trinity College Dublin]]
| education     = [[Sligo Grammar School]]
| spouse        = Gladys Camper Day
| children      = 1
| rank          = [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant colonel]]
| branch        = [[British Army]]
| unit          = [[Royal Army Medical Corps]]
| battles       = [[World War I]] 
}}
'''Robert James Rowlette''' (16 October 1873 – 13 October 1944) was an Irish medical doctor and an independent politician. He was later a member of [[Seanad Éireann]].<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Dr-Robert-James-Rowlette.D.1933-10-13/|title=Robert Rowlette|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=16 December 2011}}</ref>

==Early life==
He was born on 16 October 1873 at Carncash, [[County Sligo]], the second son of Matthew Rowlett, a farmer, and Kezia Rowlett (née Hunter). His own name always appears as 'Rowlette'. Rowlette attended [[Sligo Grammar School]], and entered [[Trinity College Dublin]] (TCD) in 1891, graduating in 1895 as a senior moderator in ethics and logic. In 1896–97, he was president of the University Philosophical Society and was vice-president of the College Historical Society whose gold medal for oratory he won in 1899.<ref name=dib>{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/rowlette-robert-james-a7825|title=Rowlette, Robert James|work=[[Dictionary of Irish Biography]]|last=Long|first=Patrick|access-date=12 October 2022}}</ref> Also in 1899, he graduated [[Doctor of Medicine|MD]], having studied medicine since 1893 in parallel with his arts courses, already receiving his MB and B.Ch. in 1898.<ref name=Irish_Times>"Death of Dr. R.J. Rowlette", ''The Irish Times'', 14 October 1944, p 1.</ref>  Rowlette's varied academic record anticipated a subsequent career in medicine and politics, where he moved between one discipline and the other with apparent ease.

==Career==
He was, at various times, president of the [[Royal College of Physicians of Ireland]] and the Royal Irish Academy of Medicine and the editor of the ''Journal'' of the [[Irish Medical Organisation]].<ref name=Irish_Times/> As well as holding several hospital appointments (including [[Mercer's Hospital]]) and consultancies, he was king's professor of materia medica and pharmacy at TCD, and professor of pharmacology at the [[Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland]].<ref name=Irish_Times/>

==Military and sporting activities==
During [[World War I]] he served in the [[Royal Army Medical Corps]], with the rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant colonel]] on his discharge.<ref name=dib/> He was [[mentioned in dispatches]] while serving in France.<ref name=Irish_Times/>

His athletic prowess at TCD, particularly in track events, long-distance running, and membership of the Dublin University Harriers, translated into a passionate life interest.<ref name=dib/> He had a long involvement in long-distance athletics, both as a competitor in his younger years and later in the administration of the Irish Amateur Athletics Association and, after 1922, the [[Cycling Ireland|National Athletic and Cycling Association of Ireland]].<ref>For a general overview of the history of Irish athletics during this period, see {{cite news|title=University Athletics in Ireland 1857–2000|publisher=Cyril M. White, PhD/Athletics Ireland website|url=http://www.athleticsireland.ie/statistics/AHistoryofIrishAthletics.htm}}</ref>

He was Honorary Physician to the British Olympic team at the [[1920 Summer Olympics]] in Antwerp, and to the Irish teams at the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in Paris and the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] in Amsterdam, the first two occasions on which an independent Irish team competed.<ref name=Irish_Times/>

==Political career==
Rowlette was elected unopposed  to the [[8th Dáil]] as a [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) for the [[Dublin University (constituency)|Dublin University]] constituency at a [[1933 Dublin University by-election|by-election on 13 October 1933]], following the death of sitting TD [[James Craig (physician)|James Craig]].<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1869|title=Robert Rowlette|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=11 July 2012}}</ref> He was the first TD elected to the Dáil without having to take the [[Oath of Allegiance (Ireland)|Oath of Allegiance]] to the crown, abolished with effect from the previous May.<ref name=dib/>

In 1938, the university constituencies were transferred to [[Seanad Éireann]], and Rowlette was then elected for three successive terms, to the [[2nd Seanad|2nd]], [[3rd Seanad|3rd]] and [[2nd Seanad|4th]] Seanads.<ref>The pre-1937 [[Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)|Free State Seanad]] is deemed to be the first Seanad</ref> He failed to gain re-election to the Seanad in 1944, finishing as the runner-up by a margin of 5 votes out of a total valid poll of 2,297.<ref>"Few Surprises in Senate elections", ''The Irish Times'', 2 August 1944, p 1.</ref>

==Later life and death==
He was married to Gladys Camper Day, and they had one son.<ref name=dib/> During [[World War II]], he took charge of air-raid casualty preparations in a liaison scheme between Mercer's and St Bricin's military hospital. He died on 13 October 1944 at his home, 55 [[Fitzwilliam Square]], Dublin.  He was buried in Enniskerry cemetery, [[County Wicklow]].<ref name=dib/> His first cousin once removed was [[Mary Henry (doctor)|Dr Mary Henry]], who also represented Dublin University in the Seanad, from 1993 to 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1994-11-02/7/|title=New Universities' Enfranchisement: Motion. – Seanad Éireann (20th Seanad) – Wednesday, 2 Nov 1994 – Houses of the Oireachtas|first=Houses of the|last=Oireachtas|date=2 November 1994|website=www.oireachtas.ie}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite TIWW|article=Rowlette, Robert James|page=223}}

{{Dublin University (constituency)/TDs}}
{{Members of the 2nd Seanad}}
{{Members of the 3rd Seanad}}
{{Members of the 4th Seanad}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlette, Robert}}
[[Category:1873 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:Independent TDs]]
[[Category:Members of the 8th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 2nd Seanad]]
[[Category:Members of the 3rd Seanad]]
[[Category:Members of the 4th Seanad]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Royal Army Medical Corps officers]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish medical doctors]]
[[Category:Teachtaí Dála for Dublin University]]
[[Category:Members of Seanad Éireann for Dublin University]]
[[Category:Independent members of Seanad Éireann]]
[[Category:People educated at Sligo Grammar School]]
[[Category:Irish military doctors]]
[[Category:Physicians of the Mercer's Hospital]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland]]
[[Category:Politicians from County Sligo]]
[[Category:Military personnel from County Sligo]]
[[Category:Medical doctors from County Sligo]]
[[Category:Irish officers in the British Army]]