Clarence Evans Kilburn (April 13, 1893 – May 20, 1975) was a Republican member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Kilburn was born in

Malone, New York Malone is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 12,433 at the 2020 census. The town contains a village also named Malone. The town is an interior town located in the north-central part of the county. History ...

. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1916. He enlisted for

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, completed officer training at

Madison Barracks File:Madison Barracks.jpg File:Madison Barracks02.jpg File:Madison Barracks Stone Tower.jpg File:Madison Barracks Stone Tower 02.jpg Madison Barracks was a military installation established in 1813 or 1815 at Sackets Harbor that was built for oc ...

, and received his commission as a second lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

. Kilburn served in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

with the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, and later returned to the United States as an instructor in the use of trench mortars. He was discharged at

Camp Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Fort Eisenhower and Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established southwest of Augusta, Georgia in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cy ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in 1919. After the war Kilburn worked for a Malone ice cream and candy wholesaler before beginning a career in banking. In 1930 he was appointed president of the People's Trust Co. of Malone. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Marine Midland Trust Company of Northern New York. He was elected to Congress in 1940 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Wallace E. Pierce and served from February 13, 1940, until January 3, 1965. During his years in Congress, Kilburn was one of the more conservative members of the

Republican delegation, but was liberal on the issue of foreign aid, like most members of the New York delegation. Kilburn voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...

(and was the sole member of the

Congressional delegation to vote against the latter bill), while he did not vote on the

Civil Rights Act of 1960 The Civil Rights Act of 1960 () is a United States federal law that established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote. It dealt primarily wi ...

or the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He died in

, and was buried at Morningside Cemetery. His father was New York State Senator Frederick D. Kilburn.

Sources

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kilburn, Clarence E. 1893 births 1975 deaths Cornell University alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) American bankers United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army Infantry Branch personnel People from Franklin County, New York 20th-century New York (state) politicians 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives