Born on February 18, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York,[1] Samuel J. Roberts moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, in his childhood.

[2] After graduating Academy High School, he attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning a B.S.

[3] Roberts served as an Assistant District Attorney and Special Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania before serving as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy during World War II.

[4] After the war, Roberts became Judge of the Orphans Court of Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1952 and was elected to a full ten-year term in 1953.

[4][5] During his career, he also served as Professor of Constitutional Democracy at Gannon University.