Samuel Tesitor Taylor (January4, 1903March23, 1977) was a
Democratic state senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
from Colorado, U.S. He served in the state senate for 40 years, from 1934 to 1974.
Born in Hastings, Colorado,
the site of a former coal mine and now a ghost town, he later moved to
Walsenburg, Colorado
Walsenburg is the Colorado municipalities#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat of and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality in Huerfano County, Colorado, Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. ...
. Taylor worked as a coal miner and then earned a law degree at the
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...
before running for state senate. In Walsenburg, he worked as county attorney.
Elections
Taylor first ran for state office in 1934, seeking to represent District 14 in the Colorado Senate. He won the Democratic primary and the general election and began serving in the state senate in 1934. He was re-elected in 1938, 1942, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1958, and 1962. In 1964, following redistricting, he represented senate district 32 from 1965 to 1966. In 1966, he was elected to represent senate district 17 and served from 1967 to 1971. In 1970, he was elected to represent senate district 32 and served from 1971 to 1974, when he retired.
He is the longest-serving legislator in Colorado history.
In 1954, Taylor was a candidate for the office of
Colorado Lieutenant Governor, but he was defeated by
Frank L. Hays.
Senate leadership positions
During his term in the senate, Taylor served as senate minority leader in 1953, from 1955 to 1956, and from 1963 to 1970. He served as senate majority Leader from 1957 to 1960. He served as senate president pro tem from 1961 to 1962, and he served as
senate assistant minority leader from 1971 to 1972.
As senate president pro tem, he often served as acting governor.
Personal life and death
Sam Taylor married Nina Luckenbaugh in
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...
on March 2, 1929. During World War II, Taylor served as a captain in the United States Military.
[Application for headstone or marker, VA form 40-1330, March 26, 1977, accessed on Ancestry.com using the Wikipedia Library.] Taylor died on March 23, 1977, aged 74, at
Mt. San Rafael Hospital in
Trinidad, Colorado
Trinidad is the List of cities and towns in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality in Las Animas County, Colorado, United Stat ...
, where he had been staying in a nursing home.
He is buried at St. Mary North Cemetery in Walsenburg.
References
External links
Taylor's campaign history from the Colorado Secretary of StateLegislative Branch page about Taylor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Sam T.
Democratic Party Colorado state senators
People from Walsenburg, Colorado
University of Colorado Law School alumni
1904 births
1977 deaths
20th-century members of the Colorado General Assembly