Samuel J. Roberts was a teacher, a humanitarian and a jurist. For 35 years he served both Erie County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a member of the judiciary. In 1952 he was appointed Judge of the Orphans Court of Erie County and the following year was elected to a full ten year term.

In 1962 he was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania becoming the third Justice elected from Erie County. Following 20 years of service as an Associate Justice he was elevated to Chief Justice on January 3, 1983 thus becoming the fifty third Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. During his time on the Supreme Court he wrote approximately 1200 majority and plurality opinions, 500 concurring opinions and 700 dissenting opinions. After his term on the Supreme Court he served as a Senior Judge on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

During his term on the Supreme Court he led the Court toward modernization of the jurisprudence of this Commonwealth. His opinions touched every area of the law recognizing the need to have a balance between respect for the past and the need for progressive justice. He believed that law, by its very nature is dynamic and that law existed to serve people and must adapt to changing views and needs.

He was well regarded as a teacher having been appointed Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Democracy at Gannon University in 1984. He served many institutions of higher education among them University of Pennsylvania School of Law, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Trustee of Gannon University and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and the President's Council of Villa Maria College.

Samuel J. Roberts had a deep love of people and a concern for this community and country. He showed his concern by his service as a member of many of the social service organizations in this community. He displayed courage and strength to further the rights and liberties of all people. Although he spent much time away from Erie, Erie was always home to him. He was a man of our community.

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