Harley Orrin Staggers
Harley Orrin Staggers | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 2nd district | |
In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1981 | |
Preceded by | Melvin C. Snyder |
Succeeded by | Cleve Benedict |
Personal details | |
Born | Harley Orrin Staggers August 3, 1907 Keyser, West Virginia, U.S. |
Died | August 20, 1991 Cumberland, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 84)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Mary Casey Staggers |
Children | Margaret Anne Staggers Mary Kaye Staggers Frances Susan Tasker Elizabeth Ellen Shank Harley O. Staggers Jr. Daniel Staggers |
Alma mater | Emory and Henry College |
Occupation | Teacher |
Harley Orrin Staggers Sr. (August 3, 1907 – August 20, 1991) was an American politician who served 16 terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1981, representing West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat. From 1966 until his retirement in 1981, Congressman Staggers chaired the powerful House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (today the Committee on Energy and Commerce). A longtime supporter of the American railroad industry and its workers, Congressman Staggers' landmark legislative achievement was the Staggers Rail Act, passed in 1980.
Career
Staggers was born on August 3, 1907, in Keyser, Mineral County, West Virginia; he graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1931 and did graduate work at Duke University.
Staggers served as sheriff of
First Amendment
On June 10, 1971, the
According to Staggers this was the only way to know if the documentary had been accurately edited. The president of CBS News, Frank Stanton, said he would go to jail before complying with Staggers' subpoenas. The House supported Stanton and Staggers was forced to abandon his ultimatum.
In 1973, Staggers heard on the radio the John Lennon song "Working Class Hero" — which includes the lines "'Til you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules" and "But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see" — on WGTB and lodged a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).[7] The manager of the station, Ken Sleeman, faced a year in prison and a $10,000 fine, but defended his decision to play the song saying, "The People of Washington, DC are sophisticated enough to accept the occasional four-letter word in context, and not become sexually aroused, offended, or upset." The charges were dropped.[8]
Illegal drugs in sports
On May 11, 1973, the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce which was chaired by Staggers issued a press release[9] summarizing the results of an investigation that determined illegal drug use existed in all level of sports. The investigation also described the degree of use, including steroids and amphetamines, as alarming.[citation needed]
Legacy
In 1980, Congress passed legislation crafted by Congressman Staggers and other members of the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee to carry out the
A Federal Court and Post Office building in Morgantown, West Virginia as well as a portion of Water Street in his hometown of Keyser, West Virginia, are named in honor of Congressman Staggers.
Children
Staggers's daughter Mary Kaye Staggers was a professor at Potomac State College and is a member of the West Virginia Democratic Executive Committee. His sons, Harley O. Staggers Jr. and Daniel C. Staggers, practice law in Keyser, West Virginia. Harley Jr. was also a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing West Virginia's 2nd congressional district from 1983 to 1993. His daughter Margaret Anne "Peggy" Staggers, a resident of Fayetteville, West Virginia, has been a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates since 2006. Daughter Susan owned and managed two successful local businesses in Keyser until her and her husband's retirement. His daughter Ellen resides in Morgantown.
See also
References
- ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
- ^ "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE".
- ^ "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES".
- ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
- ^ Raz, Guy (29 January 1999). "Radio Free Georgetown". Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ISBN 0-87930-792-7.
- ^ reform.democrats.house.gov Archived 2007-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Palley, Joel. "Impact of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980". Federal Railroad Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
External links
- United States Congress. "Harley Orrin Staggers (id: S000778)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2009-05-20
- West Virginia & Regional History Center at West Virginia University, Harley O. Staggers, Papers
- Harley O. Staggers Sr. Congressional Papers
- Appearances on C-SPAN