ALEXANDRIA, VA-R. Anthony (Tony )Rogers, 84, a veteran litigator who devoted his career to the land and water rights of American Indians, died on June 18, 2024 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Dane Rogers of Alexandria, VA, son, Mark Rogers (Anne Nelson) of San Francisco, CA and daughter, Laura Ellis, (Richard Ellis) of Arlington, VA.
A retired Senior Trial Attorney for the Land and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice, Tony was born in Fort Pierce, FL but raised in Miami where his father, Rollin Rogers covered politics for the Miami Herald and his mother, Martha, worked as a legal secretary. Tony, a graduate of Coral Gables High School, received a B.A. in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he forged lifelong friendships at his beloved Wesley House and nurtured a passion for politics that won him a Congressional internship. Eventually, this led to law school, a Washington future and the jackpot: Season tickets to the Nats.
He graduated from UNC in 1962 when the Vietnam War was well underway and joined the Navy. After completing Officer Candidate School, he served on two ships: The USS Okinawa (LPH-3) and the USS Ogden (LPD-5), a newly commissioned amphibious assault ship that transported marines and small landing boats to Da Nang.
Tony continued his studies after his discharge. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1969, secured a year-long judicial clerkship in Washington with U.S. District Court Judge George L. Hart, Jr. and moved his young family to Alexandria. He became an active member of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, serving as Senior Warden and usher over the years and joined the Candlelighters’ Foundation, a parents’ group that lobbied Congress to fund a cure for Childhood Cancer . He also drew political cartoons and stumped for local and national candidates.
After the clerkship, he continued his legal career in private practice with Wilkinson, Cragun & Barker, a Washington firm known for representing numerous tribes in complex Indian Claims cases nationwide. He made his own contribution as a partner, primarily by protecting the land and water rights of tribes including the Northern Arapaho of Wyoming’s 3.5 million acre Wind River Reservation. He served as chair of the Indian Resources Committee of the American Bar Association for two years and traveled West so often that clients and colleagues nicknamed him “Tony Take-A-Trip.” In 1987, he joined the Department of Justice where his experience and litigation skills on behalf of the United States earned him a prestigious John Marshall Award. He retired in 2005.
A memorial service and celebration of Tony’s life is scheduled for 11 a.m., Thursday, September 26th at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary RD, Alexandria, VA 22304. Donations may be made in his memory to Immanuel Church-on -the-Hill, the UVA Law School Foundation, 580 Massie Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 or The UNC Wesley Campus Ministry (The Rev. Robert L. Johnson Fund) 201 E.Rosemary St., Chapel Hill,NC 27514.
