Anyone who has ever attended a civic or organizational business meeting has probably seen Robert's Rules of Order in action. But what few people know is that General Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923) had a long and varied career, one that had an impact on the landscape of the United States, as well as on how its decisions are made.

Robert was born on May 2, 1837 on his grandfather's plantation near Robertville, South Carolina. His father was the Reverend Joseph Thomas Robert, a Baptist minister and teacher. Reverend Robert did not support slavery, and by the time his son was 16, the family had moved to Ohio. It was from Ohio that Robert received his appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point when he was 16.

In 1857, Robert graduated from the Military Academy with honors. Although he returned to teach at the academy the following year, he was given...