Submitted by Norma Jean Huss
A roster of the city's prominent aggressive citizens must include the name of City Attorney, Roy R. Helm, who is as competent an official as he is an able lawyer and speaker. He was born in Metropolis, Illinois, September 25, 1886, and is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Helm. He received his early education in the public school s of this city and graduated from the Metropolis High School May 29, 1902. Early in life he had the ambition to become a lawyer but realizing the need of a broad, liberal, education in this day and age of efficiency he decided to take a regular college course before embarking on the study of law. Accordingly he entered a competitive examination given by the Superintendent of Public instruction and was successful in winning a scholarship in the State University at Champaign. He matriculated in September, 1903, and spent four years there taking the prominent in debating circles and April 28, 1905, he was on the University debating team that debated the University of Missouri debating team at Columbia, Mo. He graduated from the State University June 14, 1907, with the degree Bachelor of Arts and was class orator of his class.
Mr. Helm spent his first year in the study of law at the State University Law School, of which former Circuit Judge O.A. Harker of this Judicial District was Dean. The next two years he attended the University of Chicago Law School at Chicago, graduating from that institution in 1909. While there he made a special study of Criminal Law under Judge Emlin McClain, the author of the well known text book on Criminal Law, which book is found in practically every lawyers library. He was also a student under the eminent German Law Professor Ernest Freud, who is one of the country's foremost authorities of municipal and county government, and who is the author of a text book on "Police Power". This book is generally regarded as the best and most authoritative treatise on the subject. Other law professors under whom he studied were Judge Julian Mack, now a Federal Judge, Horace Kent Tenney, an ex-president of the Illinois State Bar Association and a leader of the Chicago Bar, Dr. Floyd Meacham, an author of treatises on "Agency" and "Sales". Dr. James Parker Hall, an author of a work on Constitutional Law and Dr. James Garner, who with Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts wrote a five volume history of the Unity States, A perusals of the names of these men shows that Mr. Helm received his law training at the hands of some of the leading law professors of the country.
Mr. Helm received his license to practice law October 18, 1909, and for nearly seven years has been engaged in active practice of the law. He has practiced law not only in Massac County but has also tried cased in the Saline and White and has appeared against and at other times been associated with some of the foremost and ablest lawyers in all Southern Illinois. He has also practiced in the Federal Courts at Cairo, Illinois and Louisville, Kentucky, and has had a great deal of experience in trying cases in the Appellate and Supreme Courts.
He is finishing his second term as City Attorney of the City of Metropolis. He has been thoroughly conscientious in his discharge of the duties of that office showing partially to no one, but enforcing the law without fear or favor against all who were apprehended by the officers and arraigned before the bar of justice. His record demonstrates that he is a powerful and efficient prosecutor and a careful and trustworthy adviser.
Politically Mr. Helm is a stanch Republican. He served two terms as Secretary of the Republican County Central Committee of Massac County and has always been an earnest worker for his party's success. He is a stump speaker of exceptional ability and during the last two campaigns he spoke in every precinct in the county where speaking were held and also in adjoining counties. Last general election when Congressman Williams was injured in an auto wreck and unable to keep his speaking engagements he called on Mr. Helm to take up the work for him in Wayne county. He made an auto tour of the county delivering three speeches a day and the election returns from the county demonstrates that he was able to successfully defend the doctrines of Republicanism against of comers.
Fraternally, Mr. Helm is an Odd Fellow and a Royal Arch Mason. He is one of the Past Masters of the Metropolis Masonic Lodge. He is thoroughly public spirited and he is always found ready to do anything to advance the interests of his native City and county.
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