Robert Gordon (1927–2021) was an American lawyer and corporate executive based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He practiced law independently before spending most of his career at Utah Power & Light Company, where he rose to vice president and corporation secretary. He was also a partner of the Salt Lake City law firm Ray, Quinney & Nebeker and took part in Utah civic and professional organizations.
Background
Robert Gordon was born on August 15, 1927, in Price, Utah, to Harry N. Gordon and Sarah Gordon, whose maiden name was Bontsik. Price is a town in Carbon County in east-central Utah, a region whose economy in the early twentieth century was closely tied to coal mining and rural commerce.
His 2021 obituary described him as a devoted husband and father with a strong sense of humor and a lifelong interest in athletics. He grew up in Utah during the years of the Great Depression and the Second World War, and he went on to study law in Salt Lake City, the state's capital and largest urban center.
Education
Gordon attended the University of Utah, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Law in 1950 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1952. The university had been founded on February 28, 1850, as the University of Deseret, making it the first state university west of the Missouri River. It was renamed the University of Utah in 1892, and it was the state's public flagship institution during Gordon's years as a student.
Gordon was a member of Phi Alpha Delta, a professional legal fraternity established to bring together law students and lawyers. Such fraternities offered fellowship and professional connections to those preparing for legal practice, a tradition that was common among American law schools in the mid-twentieth century.
Career
Gordon was admitted to the Utah bar in 1953 and practiced as a sole practitioner in Salt Lake City from 1953 to 1966. Sole practice meant practicing law independently rather than as a partner in a firm, so his early career was built on his own clients and cases.
In 1966 he joined Utah Power & Light Company as an attorney. The company was incorporated in 1912 as a subsidiary of Electric Bond and Share Company, a New York holding company that consolidated electric power firms, and it grew into the major provider of electrical power in Utah and the Intermountain West.
Gordon's responsibilities within the company's legal and corporate office expanded over the following years. He served as assistant corporation secretary from 1973 to 1976 and as corporation secretary from 1976 to 1980. From 1980 he served as vice president and corporation secretary.
The company's corporate structure changed during his tenure. In 1989 Utah Power & Light became a subsidiary of PacifiCorp, a Portland-based utility operating in seven states. Gordon retired as vice president of Utah Power & Light in 1993.
He was also a partner of Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, a Salt Lake City law firm founded in 1940 by Paul H. Ray, S. Joseph Quinney, and A. Hulme Nebeker. The firm later grew into one of the largest law practices in Utah.
Religion
Gordon was affiliated with Judaism, a monotheistic religion that traces its origins to the ancient Israelites and to a covenantal relationship with God expressed in the Torah. Its ethical teachings emphasize justice, charity, and the study of sacred texts, and its communities developed diverse expressions across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
In the United States, Jewish congregations developed several movements, including Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism. These movements differed in their approaches to ritual observance and religious law while sharing core traditions, which allowed Jewish communities in American cities such as Salt Lake City to maintain religious life within a predominantly Christian society.
Politics
Gordon was a Republican. His party affiliation placed him within one of the two major American political parties, which emphasized individual liberty, private enterprise, constitutional government, and limited public spending.
During the middle decades of the twentieth century, when Gordon built his legal and corporate career, the Republican Party included both conservative and moderate currents. Under Dwight D. Eisenhower, the party paired support for business and balanced budgets with federal investment in infrastructure and national defense. The party's presence in Utah, where Gordon practiced and worked, reflected the same national currents within a state with a distinct regional economy centered on mining, agriculture, and utilities.
Membership
Gordon's professional memberships centered on the legal community in Utah. He chaired the Law Day committee in Salt Lake City of the Utah State Bar Association, the body of lawyers admitted to practice in the state, during 1983 and 1984.
His civic and social involvement included leadership roles in several Utah organizations. He was president of United Cerebral Palsy of Utah in 1965, a voluntary organization serving people with cerebral palsy and their families. From 1981 he served as a director of the Utah Taxpayers Association, a group that advocates for taxpayer interests in public policy.
He also led the Salt Lake Tennis Club as president from 1979 to 1981 and served as a trustee of Ballet West from 1982 to 1986. Ballet West is a professional ballet company based in Salt Lake City.
Chairman of the Law Day committee, Salt Lake City
Utah State Bar Association
,
United States
1983 - 1984
President
United Cerebral Palsy of Utah
,
United States
1965
Director
Utah Taxpayers Association
,
United States
1981
President
Salt Lake Tennis Club
,
United States
1979 - 1981
Trustee
Ballet West
,
United States
1982 - 1986
Personality
His 2021 obituary described him as a caring husband and father, a friend to many, and a person with a top-notch sense of humor.
Interests
Gordon was known for lifelong athleticism, and his presidency of the Salt Lake Tennis Club reflected an active interest in tennis. His obituary also noted that he could carry a tune.
Connections
Gordon married Rosanne Cline on November 29, 1952. They remained married for decades, and his obituary described her as the love of his life. The couple had three children: Steven, Cindy, and Gary. His obituary also listed seven grandchildren.
His parents were Harry N. Gordon and Sarah Gordon, née Bontsik, and both are named in his family records as the parents who raised him in Price, Utah.
Father:
Harry N. Gordon
Mother:
Sarah Gordon
Maiden name Bontsik.
Spouse:
Rosanne Cline
Married Gordon on November 29, 1952.
child:
Steven Gordon
child:
Cindy Gordon
child:
Gary Gordon
References
Robert Gordon Obituary, Salt Lake Tribune (Legacy.com)
Obituary of Robert Gordon (1927–2021) of Salt Lake City, describing his birth in Price, Utah, his career as a corporate attorney and vice president at Utah Power & Light, and his family.
