Robert John Cunningham, 77, of 758 S. Garfield St., longtime local attorney and retired city attorney, was dead on arrival at Mercy Hospital early today after suffering an apparent heart attack at home.
He was born in Janesville Aug. 14, 1893, the son of John Cunningham, prominent member of the Rock County bar from 1888 until his death in 1916, and May E. Boss Cunningham.
Robert Cunningham was a 1912 graduate of Janesville High School and received his law degree in 1917 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Following service with the U.S. Army in World War I, he opened his first law practice here in 1918. He had been associated with Robert Buell in the Cunningham and Buell law firm for a number of years.
He was a veteran in the study of municipal legal problems, having been appointed counsel of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities in 1931, the year he was named city attorney for Janesville. In 1942, he conducted the first course at the UW Law School covering the fundamentals of municipal law for some 35 city and village municipal attorneys of the state. The course was repeated for several years under his leadership. He served as counsel until 1953.
He was a member and past president of the Rock County Bar Association, first elected in 1952. He was a 7th Ward supervisor and a member of the county board of supervisors for six years following his election in 1925.
Long active in the YMCA, he headed several membership and fund campaigns, and was president in 1934. He was a longtime member of the board of directors and served in other offices at various times.
He was a member of First Baptist Church since 1905 and was active in the state Baptist convention and observance of the 90th anniversary of the local church held in 1934. His 36 years on the board of the Rock County Chapter American Red Cross gave him the longest tenure of any of the present members.
He was a golfer for more than 50 years and twice won the senior golf championship, in 1946 and 1949, the first linksman to win Duffy's Trophy twice.
At the time of his retirement as city attorney, Aug. 15, 1965, Mr. Cunningham rated his most rewarding experience as the final adoption of the revised code of ordinance in 1962. Four of the city's managers have been guided by Mr. Cunningham, who served under Henry Traxler, Warren Hyde, George Forster and Joseph Lustig.
A testimonial dinner marked his retirement after 34 years of service in the city post. A large bronze plaque was presented by Leland Bell, then president of the city council, and testimonials were presented by Edward Johnson, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities; City Manager Joseph Lustig, Robert Buell, his longtime law partner and former assistant attorney; Fred R. Holt, Leon Feingold, Police Chief Jasper Webb and a host of other dignitaries of the city and area.
The articulate Mr. Cunningham was the winner of the Harris Political Science prize while at the university and also won the Jubilee Medal for the best theses in history, economics and political science departments.
He went into practice in 1918 with his father, John Cunningham and a brother, Roger.
He was married Aug. 22, 1922, to Rachel Harris in Sioux Falls, S. D.
Surviving are his wife; a son, William, Janesville; a daughter, Mrs. David (Patricia) Fischbach, Seattle, Wash., and two grandchildren. A son, John R., was killed in action in World War II.
Arrangements will be completed at Overton Funeral Home.
