Robert P. Robinson - Governor of Delaware

Governor of Delaware

During his tenure, the major issues facing state government were related to secondary education and highway construction. With the passage of the controversial School Codes of 1919 and 1921 Delaware was committed to an aggressive program of school construction. Pierre S. du Pont had agreed to get the process started and provided the massive financial support from his own funds. However, that could not continue forever and yet the General Assembly refused to levy additional taxes. Fortunately the new income tax and corporate franchise tax were capable of producing the revenue needed, but it was suspected everyone was not filing as they should have been. To remedy the situation Robinson appointed du Pont himself to be the State Tax Commissioner. Du Pont quickly modernized the office, increased the revenue from the income tax and assured the continuation of the school building program.

Robinson was also a proponent of the organization of the State Board of Charities and he supported a modernized pension system for needy mothers. It was increasingly clear that reform was needed in what is now known as the social services and legislation was introduced to replace the county “almshouses” with a state welfare home. The bill failed to pass, but Florence M. Hanby, who was the first woman elected to the General Assembly, introduced the “Hope Farm Bill” into this session, and it provided funding for the Anti-Tuberculosis Hospital at Hope Farm. Robinson also appointed the first female state Secretary of State in the United States, Fannie Harrington.