Difference between revisions of "J. Will Taylor"
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| − | '''James Willis Taylor''' (August 28, 1880 – November 14, 1939), known as '''J. Will Taylor''', was an eastern [[Tennessee]] Republican who represented the state's 2nd congressional district for two decades in the [[United States House of Representatives]]. He previously was the chair of the GOP state executive committee for two years. | + | {{Officeholder |
| + | |name=James Willis “J. Will” Taylor | ||
| + | |image=James Willis Taylor.jpg | ||
| + | |party=[[Republican]] | ||
| + | |spouse=Mossie Emily Kincaid | ||
| + | |religion=[[Methodist]]<ref>[https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/taylor5.html#116.90.56 Taylor, J.]. ''The Political Graveyard''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> | ||
| + | |offices= | ||
| + | {{Officeholder/representative | ||
| + | |state=Tennessee | ||
| + | |district=2nd | ||
| + | |terms=March 4, 1919 – November 14, 1939 | ||
| + | |preceded=Richard W. Austin | ||
| + | |former=y | ||
| + | |succeeded=[[John Jennings, Jr.]] | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''James Willis Taylor, Jr.''' (August 28, 1880 – November 14, 1939), known as '''J. Will Taylor''' and "Hillbilly Bill",<ref name=knoxvillefocus>Hill, Ray (July 19, 2015). [https://knoxfocus.com/archives/hillbilly-bill-congressman-j-will-taylor/ ‘Hillbilly Bill:’ Congressman J. Will Taylor]. ''The Knoxville Focus''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> was an eastern [[Tennessee]] Republican from Union County<ref>Peters, Bonnie Heiskell (October 8, 2017). [https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/union-county/ Union County]. ''Tennessee Encyclopedia''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> who represented the state's 2nd congressional district for two decades in the [[United States House of Representatives]]. He previously was the chair of the GOP state executive committee for two years. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Background== | ||
| + | Taylor was born in Lend Mine Bend, Tennessee to Sarah Elizabeth Rogers and James Willis Taylor, Sr.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> After enduring through hardships, he attended and graduated from Holbrook Normal College, located in Fountain City. Taylor later graduated from Cumberland School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1902.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | He married the former Mossie Emily Kincaid and the couple had two daughters, Elizabeth and Katheryne. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==U.S. House of Representatives== | ||
| + | Taylor ran for the House in the 1918 midterms, challenging incumbent Republican congressman Richard W. Austin. The latter's lack of popularity in the area led to an easy primary victory for Taylor,<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> who then handily won the general election by a landslide.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=310760 TN - District 02 Race - Nov 05, 1918]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> The second district of Tennessee has consistently been solidly Republican since the 1860s. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Popular among constituents, Taylor dominated state GOP politics during the 1920s, when Republican-held presidencies caused all federal patronage in Tennessee to run through him.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> He was accused of corruption by opponents who even tried to indict him via a grand jury, though such attempts failed to succeed. | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[File:J. Will Taylor between 1918 and 1921.png|thumb|left|165px]] | ||
| + | During his first term, Taylor voted in the likes of a [[Moderate Republican]], backing the [[conservative]] side only 59% of the time.<ref>FascinatingPolitics (January 2021). [https://fascinatingpolitics.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/67th-congress.pdf 67th-conress.pdf]. ''Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History''. Retrieved August 24, 2021.</ref> However, being a traditional Southern Republican from the Appalachias, his voting record generally was sharply to the right compared to his Democrat colleagues. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Like his GOP colleague [[B. Carroll Reece]] from the 1st congressional district, Taylor was largely pro-[[civil rights]] and supportive of [[anti-lynching legislation]], voting for the Dyer bill in 1922<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/67-2/h169 TO PASS H. R. 13.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> following the St. Louis race riots as well as the 1937 Gavagan-Wagner bill.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/75-1/h27 TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> The rare Southern Republicans elected to Congress from solid GOP districts since the end of Reconstruction until the 1950s did not hold the bigoted, racist prejudices their Democrat counterparts made conspicuous of. Indeed, the owner of a restaurant where Taylor dined at said of the congressman:<ref name=knoxfocusmysterypart1>Hill, Ray (August 26, 2018). [https://knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/mystery-j-will-taylors-death/ The Mystery After J. Will Taylor’s Death, I]. ''The Knoxville Focus''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> | ||
| + | {{cquote|He greeted everybody the same – – – Democrat or Republican, white or black.}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | The landslide election of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in the [[United States presidential election, 1932|1932 presidential election]] ended most of Taylor's political influence, namely patronage.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> He faced a strong challenge in his 1936 re-election bid from [[Democrat]] John T. O'Connor, and only won by two percentage points.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=310769 TN - District 02 Race - Nov 03, 1936]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved August 5, 2021.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | During his last incomplete House term, Taylor voted with conservatives 80% of the time.<ref>FascinatingPolitics (March 2020). [https://fascinatingpolitics.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/1939-40-mc-index-3.pdf 1939-40-mc-index-3.pdf]. ''Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History''. Retrieved August 24, 2021.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[File:J. Will Taylor bioguide picture.jpg|thumb|right]] | ||
| + | ===Death in office=== | ||
| + | Although considered healthy,<ref name=knoxfocusmysterypart1/> Taylor suffered a [[heart attack]] in mid-November 1939 and died while in office at the age of fifty-nine,<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> resulting in an outpouring of grief from shocked constituents whom he was beloved among.<ref name=knoxfocusmysterypart1/> Controversy also emerged afterwards, with reports of his federal office building being ransacked.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> Although his older daughter Elizabeth managed to recover some personal papers, others were taken away and privately kept by his youngest daughter Katheryne. At the same time, a number of Republicans considered running for the seat to succeed Taylor.<ref name=knoxvillefocus/> These included [[John Jennings]], [[Howard Baker, Sr.]], and his daughter Elizabeth, who asserted support and encouragement for her potential candidacy as having been: | ||
| + | {{cquote|...a great tribute to my Daddy for his friends to want me to fill out his unexpired term in Congress.}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jennings ultimately succeeded Taylor and was re-elected several times before being defeated for renomination by Baker, the father of later U.S. senator [[Howard Henry Baker, Jr.]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Legacy== | ||
| + | An elevator operator and janitor who knew Taylor for nearly two decades said of the deceased representative:<ref name=knoxfocusmysterypart1/> | ||
| + | {{cquote|Congressman Taylor was never too busy to talk to the lowliest man here about any personal problem, and help however he could. When I told him sometime ago that I was planning to buy a little place of my own he said that was a wonderful idea. He went with me two or three times to look at places. And when I finally decided on one Mr. Taylor talked to the owner and helped work out terms that I could meet.}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Oscar B. Lovette]], brief Republican U.S. representative from Tennessee's 1st congressional district | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==References== | ||
| + | {{reflist}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| Line 9: | Line 63: | ||
[[Category:Republicans]] | [[Category:Republicans]] | ||
[[Category:Former United States Representatives]] | [[Category:Former United States Representatives]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Conservatives]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Civil Rights]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Methodists]] | ||
| + | [[Category:1920s]] | ||
| + | [[Category:1930s]] | ||
Latest revision as of 03:53, August 25, 2021
| James Willis “J. Will” Taylor | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District From: March 4, 1919 – November 14, 1939 | |||
| Predecessor | Richard W. Austin | ||
| Successor | John Jennings, Jr. | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Mossie Emily Kincaid | ||
| Religion | Methodist[1] | ||
James Willis Taylor, Jr. (August 28, 1880 – November 14, 1939), known as J. Will Taylor and "Hillbilly Bill",[2] was an eastern Tennessee Republican from Union County[3] who represented the state's 2nd congressional district for two decades in the United States House of Representatives. He previously was the chair of the GOP state executive committee for two years.
Contents
Background
Taylor was born in Lend Mine Bend, Tennessee to Sarah Elizabeth Rogers and James Willis Taylor, Sr.[2] After enduring through hardships, he attended and graduated from Holbrook Normal College, located in Fountain City. Taylor later graduated from Cumberland School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1902.[2]
He married the former Mossie Emily Kincaid and the couple had two daughters, Elizabeth and Katheryne.
U.S. House of Representatives
Taylor ran for the House in the 1918 midterms, challenging incumbent Republican congressman Richard W. Austin. The latter's lack of popularity in the area led to an easy primary victory for Taylor,[2] who then handily won the general election by a landslide.[4] The second district of Tennessee has consistently been solidly Republican since the 1860s.
Popular among constituents, Taylor dominated state GOP politics during the 1920s, when Republican-held presidencies caused all federal patronage in Tennessee to run through him.[2] He was accused of corruption by opponents who even tried to indict him via a grand jury, though such attempts failed to succeed.
During his first term, Taylor voted in the likes of a Moderate Republican, backing the conservative side only 59% of the time.[5] However, being a traditional Southern Republican from the Appalachias, his voting record generally was sharply to the right compared to his Democrat colleagues.
Like his GOP colleague B. Carroll Reece from the 1st congressional district, Taylor was largely pro-civil rights and supportive of anti-lynching legislation, voting for the Dyer bill in 1922[6] following the St. Louis race riots as well as the 1937 Gavagan-Wagner bill.[7] The rare Southern Republicans elected to Congress from solid GOP districts since the end of Reconstruction until the 1950s did not hold the bigoted, racist prejudices their Democrat counterparts made conspicuous of. Indeed, the owner of a restaurant where Taylor dined at said of the congressman:[8]
| “ | He greeted everybody the same – – – Democrat or Republican, white or black. | ” |
The landslide election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election ended most of Taylor's political influence, namely patronage.[2] He faced a strong challenge in his 1936 re-election bid from Democrat John T. O'Connor, and only won by two percentage points.[9]
During his last incomplete House term, Taylor voted with conservatives 80% of the time.[10]
Death in office
Although considered healthy,[8] Taylor suffered a heart attack in mid-November 1939 and died while in office at the age of fifty-nine,[2] resulting in an outpouring of grief from shocked constituents whom he was beloved among.[8] Controversy also emerged afterwards, with reports of his federal office building being ransacked.[2] Although his older daughter Elizabeth managed to recover some personal papers, others were taken away and privately kept by his youngest daughter Katheryne. At the same time, a number of Republicans considered running for the seat to succeed Taylor.[2] These included John Jennings, Howard Baker, Sr., and his daughter Elizabeth, who asserted support and encouragement for her potential candidacy as having been:
| “ | ...a great tribute to my Daddy for his friends to want me to fill out his unexpired term in Congress. | ” |
Jennings ultimately succeeded Taylor and was re-elected several times before being defeated for renomination by Baker, the father of later U.S. senator Howard Henry Baker, Jr.
Legacy
An elevator operator and janitor who knew Taylor for nearly two decades said of the deceased representative:[8]
| “ | Congressman Taylor was never too busy to talk to the lowliest man here about any personal problem, and help however he could. When I told him sometime ago that I was planning to buy a little place of my own he said that was a wonderful idea. He went with me two or three times to look at places. And when I finally decided on one Mr. Taylor talked to the owner and helped work out terms that I could meet. | ” |
See also
- Oscar B. Lovette, brief Republican U.S. representative from Tennessee's 1st congressional district
References
- ↑ Taylor, J.. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Hill, Ray (July 19, 2015). ‘Hillbilly Bill:’ Congressman J. Will Taylor. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ Peters, Bonnie Heiskell (October 8, 2017). Union County. Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TN - District 02 Race - Nov 05, 1918. Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ FascinatingPolitics (January 2021). 67th-conress.pdf. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ↑ TO PASS H. R. 13.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Hill, Ray (August 26, 2018). The Mystery After J. Will Taylor’s Death, I. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TN - District 02 Race - Nov 03, 1936. Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ FascinatingPolitics (March 2020). 1939-40-mc-index-3.pdf. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
