Owen Roberts (educator)

Owen Josephus Roberts (May 2, 1875 – May 17, 1955) was an American lawyer, jurist, and educator. He served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1930 to 1945.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roberts graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and its law school. He initially practiced law in Philadelphia and gained prominence as a prosecutor, particularly for his role in investigating and prosecuting cases of fraud during World War I.

In 1930, President Herbert Hoover appointed Roberts to the Supreme Court following the death of Edward Terry Sanford. On the Court, Roberts was initially considered a conservative, but his views shifted during the New Deal era. His vote in West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937), upholding a minimum wage law, is often seen as a pivotal moment in the Court's jurisprudence and is sometimes referred to as "the switch in time that saved nine." He later distanced himself from this characterization.

During World War II, Roberts led the "Roberts Commission" which investigated the attack on Pearl Harbor. The commission's report placed blame on the commanders in Hawaii for lack of preparedness.

After retiring from the Supreme Court in 1945, Roberts devoted himself to public service and education. He served as the dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1948 to 1951. He was a strong advocate for world peace and actively involved in the United World Federalists organization. He also publicly criticized McCarthyism and the erosion of civil liberties during the Red Scare.