Abram Penn Staples

Who was Abram Penn Staples?

Abram Penn Staples was born at Martinsville, Virginia. During his childhood, his family moved to Roanoke, where he attended Roanoke High School. He then entered Washington and Lee University, where he received a Bachelor of Law degree in 1908. Entering into practice at Roanoke in 1908, he soon made a name for himself as an exceptional lawyer. In 1924, he was elected President of the Roanoke Bar Association and, in 1927, was elected to the Virginia Senate, being re-elected in 1931. He was appointed Attorney General of Virginia in March 1934 to fill out the term of John R. Saunders and was subsequently elected to that office in 1937 against Republican Gerould M. Rumble. He was reelected in 1941 and 1945. In August 1947, he was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia and served on that court until he retired in January 1951, as a result of failing health. Staples was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Delta Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa.