Robert A. Pelham Jr. (January 4, 1859 – June 12, 1943) was a journalist and civil servant in Detroit, Michigan and Washington, D.C.

He was also a member of a number of civil rights organizations, including the National Afro-American League, the American Negro Academy, and the Spingarn Medal Commission.

Frederick, who worked as a civil engineer with the Michigan Central Railroad, became known for building strong, long-lasting bridges.

They settled in Detroit, Michigan, in 1868, where Pelham attended the public school taught by Fannie Richards.

[1] While still a student in 1871, Pelham started working at the Daily Post, later the Detroit Morning Tribune, which was the state's leading Republican newspaper and was owned by Zachariah Chandler.

In 1892 and 1899, he was a special agent for the United States General Land Office,[9] and in 1900 he was working at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

[9] About 1900, Pelham moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the federal government, spending 37 years at the United States Census Bureau.

It brought together scholars, activists, and editors to refute racist scholarship, promote black claims to individual, social, and political equality, and publish the history and sociology of African American life.

[9] After he retired, Pelham edited and published the weekly paper, Washington Tribune, from 1939 to 1941 and was founder of the Capital News Services, Inc. From 1940-1942 he was a member of the Spingarn Medal Commission.