Representative Robert Freeman Hopwood

Robert Freeman Hopwood (July 24, 1856 – March 1, 1940) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served one term in Congress from 1915 to 1917. A lifelong resident of Fayette County, he built a substantial legal and civic career in Uniontown before his election to national office and remained active in public affairs for many decades.

Hopwood was born on July 24, 1856, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He was educated under private teachers rather than in the public school system, receiving a course of study that prepared him for the legal profession. After completing his preliminary education, he read law and pursued legal studies in preparation for admission to the bar.

In 1879 Hopwood was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Uniontown. Over the following years he became a prominent attorney in Fayette County. He served as attorney for Uniontown Borough from 1881 to 1891, providing legal counsel to the municipal government during a period of local growth and development. He also became active in Republican Party politics, serving as chairman of the Republican county committee, a role that placed him at the center of party organization and electoral strategy in the region.

Hopwood’s legal and political responsibilities expanded when he was appointed solicitor of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, a position he held from 1894 to 1912. In that capacity he acted as the chief legal officer for the county, advising officials and representing the county’s interests in legal matters for nearly two decades. Beyond law and politics, he was involved in local civic institutions; notably, he served as president of the Uniontown Hospital from 1905 to 1920, helping oversee the administration and development of medical services in the community.

Building on his long record of legal practice and party leadership, Hopwood was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-fourth Congress. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives from 1915 to 1917. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as the nation confronted major domestic and international issues on the eve of its entry into World War I. As a member of the House of Representatives, Hopwood participated in the legislative process, took part in the democratic governance of the country, and represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents during his single term in office. A member of the Republican Party, he contributed to national deliberations while maintaining close ties to his home district.

In 1916 Hopwood was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the House, bringing his congressional service to a close at the end of his first term in March 1917. After leaving Congress, he returned to Uniontown and resumed the practice of law, continuing the professional work that had defined much of his adult life. He also remained connected to local institutions, including his ongoing role with the Uniontown Hospital through 1920.

Robert Freeman Hopwood died on March 1, 1940, at his winter home in St. Petersburg, Florida. His body was returned to Pennsylvania, and he was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Uniontown, the community where he had been born, practiced law, and built his public career.