Bert L. Stafford

Bert Linus Stafford
Born	(1877-12-14) 14 December 1877 Tinmouth, Vermont, U.S.
Died	29 July 1941(1941-07-29) (aged 63) Rutland, Vermont, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, politician
Years active	1906–1941
Known for	Member of the Vermont House of Representatives; State's Attorney for Rutland County; Mayor of Rutland

Bert Linus Stafford (December 14, 1877 – July 29, 1941) was a prominent lawyer and political figure from Vermont. Affiliated with the Republican Party, he held office in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1906 to 1908, served as State's Attorney for Rutland County between 1910 and 1915, and was the mayor of Rutland from 1915 until 1917. He was also the father of Robert Stafford, who later became governor of Vermont and a U.S. Senator.

Early life

Born on December 14, 1877, in Tinmouth, Vermont, Bert L. Stafford was the son of Daniel Bartlett Stafford and Mary M. (Valentine) Stafford. His education included attendance at local schools, Wallingford High School, and the Rutland Institute. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College in 1901, where he was elected president of his senior class and participated in the Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Start of career

Following college graduation, Stafford joined a teaching program established by the United States Office of Education to educate youth in the Philippines after the conclusion of the Philippine–American War. He taught in Manila from 1901 until 1904, after which he returned to Vermont to recuperate from an episode of malaria. Upon his return, he pursued legal studies under the guidance of Lawrence and Lawrence in Rutland. Admitted to the bar in October 1906, Stafford became a partner in the firm Lawrence, Lawrence and Stafford, which subsequently evolved into Lawrence, Stafford and Bloomer with the addition of Asa S. Bloomer.

Continued career

A member of the Republican Party, Stafford represented Tinmouth in the Vermont House of Representatives during 1906–1908. He then served as State's Attorney for Rutland County from 1910 through 1915. Later relocating to Rutland city, he held the mayoral office from 1915 to 1917. During World War I, he contributed by serving on the local draft board.

Stafford also assumed executive roles within several businesses in the Rutland region: he was president and director of Rutland County National Bank, trustee at Marble Savings Bank, and director at Cahee House Furnishing Company. His involvement extended to professional associations and community groups; he presided over both county and state bar associations and chaired Vermont’s state board of education for six years amid nearly twenty years as a board member.

Embezzlement case

In December 1936, charges of fraud were brought against Stafford along with Governor Charles Manley Smith, who was president of Marble Savings Bank at the time, and other officials due to nondisclosure related to an embezzlement incident. In May 1932, Smith discovered that John J. Cocklin, the bank’s bookkeeper, had misappropriated $251,000 (equivalent to approximately $5.2 million in 2022). Rather than reporting it publicly, Smith permitted Cocklin to depart quietly and absorbed the loss against the bank’s surplus funds. The theft became public knowledge when Cocklin ran for public office in 1935 and his opponents revealed the scandal. Cocklin was convicted and sentenced to jail; meanwhile, the bank treasurer received a suspended sentence accompanied by a fine. Smith was acquitted of wrongdoing; charges against Stafford and others were ultimately dropped.

Death and burial

Throughout the 1930s, Stafford’s health declined following three heart attacks; however, he managed to recover sufficiently each time to continue his professional duties. He passed away due to a cerebral hemorrhage on July 29, 1941, in Rutland and was laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery located in Rutland.

Family

In November 1911, Stafford wed Mabel Rose Stratton, originally from Linesville, Pennsylvania (1883–1976). Together, they raised three children: Robert Theodore (1913–2006), Thomas Bartlett (1916–1990), and Shirley Ruth (1917–2003).

Robert Theodore Stafford pursued a career as a lawyer and politician, holding positions as governor of Vermont and U.S. Senator. Thomas Stafford was engaged in business, serving as executive vice president of the Vermont Marble Company and representing constituents in the Vermont House of Representatives. Shirley Ruth Stafford established herself professionally as a real estate agent in the Rutland area.