Judge Samuel L. Rodgers was appointed to the Commonwealth Court as a Senior Judge in July of 1993 and was active with the Court until his death in 2001. He was previously appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County in 1978 and was elected to the bench in 1979.
During his career, Judge Rodgers was solicitor for various Washington County municipalities, school districts and authorities and also served Greater Canonsburg Industrial Development Corp.
Judge Rodgers, of McMurray, was born November 20, 1920, in Houston; a son of Frank and Mary Cortese Rodgers. He graduated from Canonsburg High School as valedictorian when he was 15. Judge Rodgers graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1941, then attended Harvard Law School.
His studies were interrupted during World War II, when he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater from 1942 to 1946. Judge Rodgers achieved the rank of Lieutenant before being released from active duty. He then attended University of Pittsburgh Law School, graduating in 1948.
He was active in the Washington County, PA, and American Bar Associations and served as president of the Washington County Bar Association in 1976, from which, in 1999, he was honored by the Association for 50 years of service. He also served as President of Canonsburg-Houston Kiwanis Club, was Chairman of Peters Township Government Study Commission and served as President of Canonsburg-Houston Chamber of Commerce.
Judge Rodgers was a former elder and deacon of Church of the Covenant in Washington and was former head of the church trustees.
The Judge Samuel L. Rodgers Fund was created by his daughter, Marta Rodgers Merchant, and friends in honor of Judge Rodgersʹs 80th birthday. The purposed of the fund is to support literacy projects in Washington County.