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24th Vice President of the United States | |
| Predecessor | George Gray |
| Successor | Robert M. La Follette |
| President | Charles W. Fairbanks |
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U.S. Representative from Illinois | |
| Predecessor | Robert M.A. Hawk |
| Successor | Frank O. Lowden |
| Born | January 16, 1834 Urbana, Ohio, US |
| Died | September 20, 1906 (aged 72) Washington, D.C., US |
| Political Party | Republican (until 1871), National (1874-79), National American (1879-1906) |
Robert Roberts Hitt (January 16, 1834 – September 20, 1906) was an American politician who served as the 24th Vice President of the United States.
Early Life[]
Political career[]
Hitt was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln from the time of the Lincoln-Douglass debates until Lincoln's death. He was able to win a seat in the House of Representatives in 1882 with the rise of the National American Party.
Hitt served for over twenty years in the House, and by 1904 he was considered a progressive in the party. His long service, personal connections, and political contrast to conservative presidential nominee Charles W. Fairbanks won him the vice presidential nomination.
Vice President of the United States[]
Hitt worked with Congress to get favorable legislation to the desk of President Fairbanks. He spent the better part of his term in poor health, and passed away in September of 1906. He was the third straight vice president that did not complete his term.
Legacy[]
Robert R. Hitt is mostly forgotten in the modern memory. He was the oldest vice president in US history, both at the start of his term and at the end. He once had a statue in his home town, but it was torn down in 1926.
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