Robert Burns Mayes

Robert Burns Mayes was born on June 28, 1867, in Gallatin, Mississippi.[2][3] He was the son of Herman Bowman Mayes, a prominent lawyer, and Charity (Barlow) Mayes.[2] Mayes attended the public schools of Hazlehurst, Mississippi.[2] He then studied law at the University of Mississippi, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1888.[2][4] He began practicing law in 1890.[2]

In 1891, Mayes was elected to represent the 11th District as a Democrat in the Mississippi State Senate for the 1892-1896 term.[2][5] In 1893, he was made a special agent of the United States Department of the Treasury and worked in this position until 1895.[6][3] Mayes then moved to New York City, and practiced law before returning to Hazlehurst three years later.[6] In 1900, Mayes was appointed to be the Chancellor of Mississippi's 5th Chancery District by Governor Andrew H. Longino; Mayes was re-appointed by Governor James K. Vardaman in 1904, and served until 1906.[2][7][8] On May 10, 1906, Mayes was appointed to replace Jeff Truly as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi.[2] After the resignation of Chief Justice Albert H. Whitfield, Mayes became the Court's new chief justice on April 16, 1910.[9][10] Mayes resigned from the Court on August 8, 1912, to return to private practice.[8] He then joined the law firm known as Mayes & Mayes.[8] He also became a district counsel for the Illinois Central Railroad and the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad.[6] He was the President of the Mississippi State Bar Association from 1913 to 1914.[6]

Mayes was a Methodist, and he was also a member of the Knights of Pythias.[8] He married Annie Lanier in 1892, and they had one son, named John Lanier Mayes.[9] He then married Leila Hart Beatty on February 23, 1900.[5][8] After Leila's death, Mayes married for a third time to Malvina Yerger in May 1920.[9] Mayes died from complications from surgery at 6 PM on February 18, 1921, in Jackson, Mississippi.[11][9]