Robert Gerard Vernon (1935-2007) was born on July 9, 1935 to Adelaide Neilson McAllister and Weston Vernon Jr. in New York City, New York. He attended Columbia University for two years, then moved to Utah and finished his Political Science B.A. at the University of Utah. He then served a mission in West Germany. Vernon went on to receive his J.D. from Columbia Law School and received the E. B. Convers Prize for excellence in legal research. He returned to Utah, worked with the Skyline Oil Company and married and later divorced Kathryn Barnes Vernon Luke. Vernon was involved in the formation of the Sunstone Foundation, had an extensive interest in the history of the LDS Church, and was a member of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers. An avid family researcher, Vernon was also a member of the Utah State Bar, American Bar Association, Utah Landman Association, and Certified Professional Landman Association. He died January 28, 2007 in Utah.