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Sam Rayburn, 1882-1961
Sam Rayburn served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for seventeen years, the longest tenure in American history. A Democrat from a poor farming family in northeast Texas, he was first elected to Congress in 1912 and served there for the next forty-nine years. Rayburn was a champion of President Roosevelt's New Deal programs and was elected Speaker for the first time in 1940. Although he wielded great power in this position, he preferred working behind the scenes with House members. Rayburn was also a close friend and mentor to fellow Texas Lyndon B. Johnson.
Max Kalish |