Sam Rayburn | |
|---|---|
 Rayburn in 1950 | |
| 43rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1955 – November 16, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John W. McCormack |
| In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| In office September 16, 1940 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | William B. Bankhead |
| Succeeded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| 37th Dean of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1953 – November 16, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Robert L. Doughton |
| Succeeded by | Carl Vinson |
| House Minority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955 | |
| Deputy | John W. McCormack |
| Preceded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | |
| Deputy | John W. McCormack |
| Preceded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| Leader of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office September 16, 1940 – November 16, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | William B. Bankhead |
| Succeeded by | John W. McCormack |
| House Majority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 1937 – September 16, 1940 | |
| Deputy | Patrick J. Boland |
| Preceded by | William B. Bankhead |
| Succeeded by | John W. McCormack |
| Chair of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce | |
| In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1937 | |
| Preceded by | James S. Parker |
| Succeeded by | Clarence F. Lea |
| Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office March 4, 1921 – March 4, 1923 | |
| Leader | Claude Kitchin |
| Preceded by | Arthur G. DeWalt |
| Succeeded by | Henry T. Rainey |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 4th district | |
| In office March 4, 1913 – November 16, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Choice B. Randell |
| Succeeded by | Ray Roberts |
| Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 1911 – January 14, 1913 | |
| Preceded by | John Wesley Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Chester H. Terrell |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 34th district | |
| In office January 8, 1907 – January 14, 1913 | |
| Preceded by | Rosser Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Robert Reuben Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn January 6, 1882 Kingston, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | November 16, 1961 (aged 79) Bonham, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Metze Jones
(m. 1927; div. 1927) |
| Alma mater | East Texas Normal College University of Texas School of Law |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (January 6, 1882 – November 16, 1961) was an American politician who served as the 43rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a three-time House speaker, former House majority leader, two-time House minority leader, and a 24-term congressman, representing Texas's 4th congressional district as a Democrat from 1913 to 1961. He holds the record for the longest tenure as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving for over 17 years (among his three separate tenures).
Born in Roane County, Tennessee, Rayburn moved with his family to Windom, Texas, in 1887. After a period as a school teacher, Rayburn won election to the Texas House of Representatives and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. He won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1912 and continuously won re-election until his death in 1961, serving a total of 25 terms. Rayburn was a protégé of John Nance Garner and a mentor to Lyndon B. Johnson.
Rayburn was elected House Majority Leader in 1937 and was elevated to the position of Speaker of the House after the death of William B. Bankhead. He led the House Democrats from 1940 to 1961, and served as Speaker of the House from 1940 to 1947, 1949 to 1953, and 1955 to 1961. Rayburn also served twice as House Minority Leader (1947 to 1949 and 1953 to 1955) during periods of Republican House control. He preferred to work quietly in the background and successfully used his power of persuasion and charisma to get his bills passed due to having to navigate the post-Joseph Cannon era when each individual committee chairman had immense power in the House.
Along with Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and most of the Texan Representatives, Rayburn refused to sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto and helped shepherd the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, the first civil rights bills passed by the U.S. Congress since the Enforcement Acts and the Civil Rights Act of 1875 during Reconstruction (1865–1877).[1][2][3] Rayburn was also influential in the construction of U.S. Route 66. He served as Speaker until his death in 1961, and was succeeded by John W. McCormack. He is the most recent Speaker of the House to die in office.
- ^ Hardeman, D.B.; Bacon, Donald C. (1987). Rayburn: A Biography. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. pp. 418–422. ISBN 0932012035.
- ^ Hardeman, D.B.; Bacon, Donald C. (1987). Rayburn: A Biography. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. p. 431. ISBN 0932012035.
- ^ "Senate – March 12, 1956" (PDF). Congressional Record. 102 (4). U.S. Government Printing Office: 4459–4461. Retrieved April 12, 2023.