Robert Shillingford Babcock

Robert Shillingford Babcock (July 22, 1915 – September 1, 1985) was an American college professor and politician from Vermont. A Republican, he was most notable for his service in both houses of the Vermont General Assembly, and as lieutenant governor from 1959 to 1961.

Early life Babcock was born in Evanston, Illinois on July 22, 1915, the son of Martha (née Shillingford) and Oliver Babcock. He graduated from Evanston High School, then attended the University of Rochester, where he joined the Psi Upsilon fraternity and graduated with an AB in 1937. Babcock was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, played on the football, baseball, and basketball teams, and earned Little All-America honors in football.

He was a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College of the University of Oxford, from which he received an AB in 1939. In 1942, he was hired by the United States Department of the Treasury, and worked in Washington, D.C. as a commercial control specialist. Babcock was defeated for reelection to his senate seat in 1954, but was appointed secretary of civil and military affairs (chief assistant) to Governor Joseph B. Johnson in 1955.

Legacy The Babcock Nature Preserve in Eden, Vermont is named for Robert and Alice-Anne Babcock. The site contains a bog, three ponds, and 1,000 acres of forest land, and was donated by the Babcocks to the Vermont State Colleges. The Babcock papers include manuscripts for his column in the Burlington Free Press, radio and TV addresses on WCAX Radio and WCAX-TV, and a collection of his writings from his service in the state legislature. Babcock is also a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of Rochester.