Robert James Rowlette was an Irish medical doctor and an independent politician.
11 Facts About Robert Rowlette
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Robert Rowlette was born on 16 October 1873 at Carncash, County Sligo, the second son of Matthew Rowlett, a farmer, and Kezia Rowlett.
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Robert Rowlette 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.
4.
Robert Rowlette was mentioned in dispatches while serving in France.
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Robert Rowlette 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 National Athletic and Cycling Association of Ireland.
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Robert Rowlette 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.
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Robert Rowlette was elected unopposed to the 8th Dail as a Teachta Dala for the Dublin University constituency at a by-election on 13 October 1933, following the death of sitting TD James Craig.
8.
In 1938, the university constituencies were transferred to Seanad Eireann, and Robert Rowlette was then elected for three successive terms, to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Seanads.
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Robert Rowlette 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.
10.
Robert Rowlette was married to Gladys Camper Day, and they had one son.
11.
Robert Rowlette died on 13 October 1944 at his home, 55 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin.