James R. Roebuck Jr.
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Randolph Roebuck Jr. (February 12, 1945 – May 15, 2024)[1] was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 188th District from 1985 to 2020.
James R. Roebuck Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 188th district | |
| In office June 3, 1985 – November 30, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | James Williams |
| Succeeded by | Rick Krajewski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 12, 1945 |
| Died | May 15, 2024 (aged 79) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Cheryl Arrington
(m. 1987–2016) |
| Alma mater | Virginia Union University, University of Virginia |
| Profession | educator |
Biography
Roebuck was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School in 1963. He earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Union University in 1966, followed by a Master's degree (1969) and Ph.D. (1977) from the University of Virginia. In 1969, he became the first African American president of the UVA Student Council.[2]
Roebuck served as a lecturer (1970-1977) and assistant professor (1977-1984) of history at Drexel University.[3] He then worked as a legislative assistant to Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode (1984-1985).[4]
Following the death of James D. Williams, Roebuck won a special election on May 21, 1985 to represent the West Philadelphia-based 188th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was sworn-in on June 3, 1985 and subsequently reelected for 17 more terms, serving for 35 years. During his time in office, Roebuck was the Democratic chairman of the House Education Committee and a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.[5]
In June 2020, Roebuck was defeated in the Democratic primary by Rick Krajewski.[6]