John Saylor
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John Phillips Saylor (July 23, 1908 – October 28, 1973) was a Republican member of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...
from
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
serving from 1949 until his death from a heart attack in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, Texas in 1973.


Background

Saylor was born in
Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania Conemaugh Township is a township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,760 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Conemaugh Township includes the towns of ...
. He graduated from
Franklin and Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1787 as Franklin College and later merged with Marshall College in 1853, it is one of the oldest colleges in the United St ...
in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...
, in 1929, and
Dickinson School of Law Penn State Dickinson Law, formerly Dickinson School of Law, is a public law school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is one of two separately accredited law schools of Pennsylvania State University. History The Law School offers J.D. and LL.M. ...
in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census ...
in 1933. He was elected city solicitor of
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is the largest city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, it is the principal city of the Metropolitan statistical area ...
, in 1938 and served until 1940. He enlisted in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
on August 6, 1943 and served until January 1946.


Political career

Saylor was elected as a Republican to the
81st Congress The 81st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 194 ...
, by special election, September 13, 1949, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Robert L. Coffey. He was reelected to the twelve succeeding Congresses and served until his death in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, Texas. During his time in Congress he became dedicated to a number of environmental causes, including the
Wilderness Act of 1964 The Wilderness Act of 1964 () is a federal land management statute meant to protect federal wilderness and to create a formal mechanism for designating wilderness. It was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. After over sixt ...
, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Act, National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and in opposition to the
Kinzua Dam The Kinzua Dam, on the Allegheny River in Warren County, Pennsylvania, is one of the largest dams in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It is located within the Allegheny National Forest. The dam is located east of Warren, Penns ...
Project. He was dubbed "St. John" by environmental advocates for his dogged work on environmental issues. In 1970 the Izaak Walton League of America bestowed its highest honor, the Founders' Award, to Saylor "for two decades of unprecedented leadership in the Congress of the United States for sound resource management, the preservation of natural scenic and cultural values, the maintenance of a quality environment, and the unalienable right of citizens to be involved in resources and environmental decisions." Saylor voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...
,
1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
, and
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights move ...
.


Personal life and death

Saylor and his wife, Grace, had two children. On October 24, 1973, Saylor had surgery for an
aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. Typically, there are no symptoms except when the aneurysm dissects or ruptures, which causes sudden, severe pain in the abdomen and lower back ...
at
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center (BSLMC) is the private adult teaching hospital of Baylor College of Medicine jointly owned with CHI St. Luke's Health. The medical staff at the hospital includes full-time Baylor faculty, as well as community p ...
in
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
. While the operation was reported to be a success, he had a heart attack in his hospital room shortly after midnight on October 28 and died at the age of 65. He is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The John P. Saylor Trail in
Gallitzin State Forest Gallitzin State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #6. The main offices are located in Ebensburg in Cambria County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The forest is located on in two non-con ...
is named after him.


See also

*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99) There are several lists of United States Congress members who died in office. These include: *List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899) *List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–1949) *List ...


Sources

* * ''Voice of Wild and Scenic Rivers: John P. Saylor of Pennsylvania'' (full text here


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saylor, John P. 1908 births 1973 deaths American conservationists Franklin & Marshall College alumni Military personnel from Pennsylvania People from Somerset County, Pennsylvania Politicians from Johnstown, Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Sierra Club awardees United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives