Randolph County, West Virginia Biography of ROBERT SIDNEY IRONS This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 558-559 Randolph ROBERT SIDNEY IRONS. In the village and city of Elkins the family name of Irons has been represented in two pro- fessions, medicine and law, for a period of thirty-five years. Robert Sidney Irons is a son of the physician Dr. John Col- vin Irons, and is one of the prominent young lawyers of the Elking bar and has practiced there except during the period while he was in the American army during the World war. He was born at Elkins December 8, 1889, son of Dr. John Colvin and Mary (Suiter) Irons. His grandfather, John Irons, represented an old Virginia family of Scotch- Irish lineage. His mother was born at Beverly, daughter of Judson L. Suiter, and representing one of the oldest families in Randolph County. Dr. John C. Irons was born in Monroe County, West Virginia, in 1854, graduated in medicine at the Hospital College of Medicine at Louisville, and has been a busy practicing physician at Elkins since 1888. He has carried duties outside his profession in the community, and had the distinction of serving as the first mayor of Elkins after it was incorporated in 1901. He served again for several terms as mayor. He is a demo- crat, a member of the Randolph County and West Virginia State Medical Societies, and he and his wife are Presby- terians. Robert Sidney Irons is one of six children. As a boy he attended public school at Elkins, and he graduated A. B. with the first class from Davis and Elkins College in 1910. He then entered the University of Pennsylvania at Phila- delphia, carrying the regular collegiate and law courses and graduating Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Law in 1913. Mr. Irons was admitted to the bar at Elkins, and soon became associated with Judge W. E. Baker, and he practiced with that eminent lawyer until the latter went on the Federal bench in 1921. In 1920 he was elected prose- cuting attorney of Randolph County. In January, 1922, Mr. Irons became associated in practice with S. T. Spears. Mr. Irons in August, 1917, entered the Second Officers Training Camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison, was commis- sioned first lieutenant of Field Artillery in November, and was sent to Camp Sherman. On account of an epidemic that afflicted his organization at Camp Sherman he was not permitted to go overseas. He received his honorable dis- charge after the signing of the armistice, and is an active member of the American Legion Post at Elkins. Mr. Irons is a Knights Templar Mason and Shriner, and is also affili- ated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. On May 3, 1922, he married Miss Edith Newlan, of Clarks- burg, West Virginia.