Content provided by Jim Slaughter of Law Firm Carolinas. View original content here.
This Thursday, February 19, 2026, we mark the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Robert’s Rules of Order in 1876. For 150 years, this book has helped groups hold fair, organized, and effective meetings.
That is an extraordinary legacy for a book written by an Army engineer.
Who Was General Robert?
Henry Martyn Robert was a general in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was not trained as a lawyer or politician. He became interested in meeting procedure after being asked to preside over a church meeting that quickly became confusing and disorderly.
As I discussed in “Who Was Robert and Why Do His Rules Rule?,” that experience pushed him to study parliamentary law and create a clear, practical guide that ordinary citizens could use.
In 1876, he published Rules for Conducting Deliberative Assemblies. The first edition was modest in size, fewer than 200 pages, and designed to be practical. Robert wanted it small enough to fit in a coat pocket so it could be carried to meetings and used as a working manual.
His goal was not to write a scholarly treatise. He wanted a simple, portable guide that would help real groups conduct real meetings fairly.
A Birthday Worth Celebrating
In “Happy Birthday, General Robert,” I reflected on how remarkable it is that a 19th century book still shapes meetings today. Few books have had such a long and practical impact on civic life.
Robert did not set out to write a historical document. He wrote a tool. Yet 150 years later, organizations across the country still rely on the structure he created.
A Very Different Book Than in 1876
While the principles have stayed consistent, the book itself has grown dramatically.
As explained in “Comparing Robert’s Rules of Order: Original Versus Current Editions,” the original pocket-sized volume has evolved into a far more detailed and comprehensive work. Today’s Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised addresses electronic meetings, boards, conventions, discipline, voting methods, and many other issues that did not exist in 1876.
The expansion reflects the growth and complexity of modern organizations. Meetings today involve challenges and technology that General Robert could not have imagined.
Yet the foundation remains the same: fairness, order, and clarity.
Why It Still Matters Today
Today, Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised remains the most widely used parliamentary authority in the United States. It is used by city councils, nonprofit boards, homeowner associations, unions, houses of worship, and professional organizations.
As in earlier times, groups still need structure. They still need a way to protect minority rights while allowing the majority to decide. They still need clear procedures so that decisions are respected and defensible.
The need for civil and orderly deliberation is just as strong today as it was 150 years ago.
150 Years of Orderly Decision-Making
What began as a small, pocket-sized manual has become the leading guide for democratic decision-making in organizations across the country.
For 150 years, Robert’s Rules of Order has helped groups move from disagreement to decision in a fair and orderly way.
That is worth celebrating.
Here’s to 150 years of better meetings and the enduring legacy of General Henry M. Robert.
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