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J. Will Taylor

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James Willis 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
Religion Methodist[1]

James Willis Taylor (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.

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.

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[5] following the St. Louis race riots as well as the 1937 Gavagan-Wagner bill.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Taylor, J.. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hill, Ray (July 19, 2015). ‘Hillbilly Bill:’ Congressman J. Will Taylor. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ Peters, Bonnie Heiskell (October 8, 2017). Union County. Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ TN - District 02 Race - Nov 05, 1918. Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  5. ↑ TO PASS H. R. 13.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.

External links

  • Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  • Profile at Find a Grave