William R. Poage

William Robert Poage (December 28, 1899 – January 3, 1987) was a Texas politician who won election to the United States House of Representatives 21 times, serving 41 years.

Early life and education

William Robert "Bob" Poage was born in Waco, Texas to William Allen and Helen Wheeler (Née Conger) and was raised near Woodson. He attended the schools of Throckmorton County, and during World War I served as an apprentice seaman in the United States Navy. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Colorado Boulder before receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 1921. He farmed and taught geology at Baylor before attending Baylor Law School, from which he received his LL.B. in 1924. Poage practiced law in Waco and taught at Baylor Law.

Political career

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In 1936, Poage was elected to the

He was one of the majority of the Texan delegation to decline to sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto^[2] opposing the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. However, Poage voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,^[3] 1960,^[4] 1964,^[5] and 1968,^[6] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.^[7][8][9] And, when lobbied by the Johnson administration to support the War on Poverty legislation for the opportunities and services it would provide, Poage responded, "Oh, I see! You're talking' about the niggers!" ^[10]

Retirement and death

Poage did not run for re-election in 1978 and retired on December 31, 1978, 4 days before the official end of his 21st term in office. He returned to his home in Waco, Texas. The following year the W. R. Poage Legislative Library for Graduate Studies and Research was dedicated on the Baylor University Campus to house Poage's congressional papers and the papers of eight other former U. S. Congressmen.^[11] On January 3, 1987, he died of heart failure at 87 years old after receiving open heart surgery.^[12]

References