Robert Edward Varner

Who was Robert Edward Varner?

Robert Edward Varner was a United States federal judge.

Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Varner received a B.S. from Auburn University in 1942 and was a U.S. Naval Aviator Lieutenant during World War II, from 1942 to 1946. He received a J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1949. He was in private practice in Tuskegee, Alabama from 1949 to 1954. He was a member of the Macon County Board of Education from 1950 to 1954, serving as Chairman in 1954. He was also Tuskegee's city attorney in 1951. He was an assistant U.S. Attorney of the Middle District of Alabama from 1954 to 1958, returning to private practice in Montgomery from 1958 to 1971.

On February 10, 1971, Varner was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama created by 84 Stat. 294. Varner was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 21, 1971, and received his commission on April 23, 1971. He served as chief judge from 1979 to 1984, assuming senior status on June 12, 1986 and serving in that capacity until his death.