John P. Saylor

Background

Saylor was born in Conemaugh Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1929, and Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1933. He was elected city solicitor of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1938 and served until 1940.

World War II

He enlisted in the United States Navy on August 6, 1943 and served until January 1946.

Political career

Saylor was elected as a Republican to the 81st Congress, 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, Texas. During his time in Congress he became dedicated to a number of environmental causes, including the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Act, National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and in opposition to the Kinzua Dam 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, 1964, and 1968, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Personal life and death

Saylor and his wife, Grace, had two children.

On October 24, 1973, Saylor had surgery for an aortic aneurysm at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston. 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.

Sources

• Voice of Wild and Scenic Rivers: John P. Saylor of Pennsylvania (full text here) https://cip.cornell.edu/Dienst/UI/1.0/Summarize/psu.ph/1134144441

Notes

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags, and the template below

References

1. [http://upress.pitt.edu/BookDetails.aspx?bookId=35792] ''Green Republican: John Saylor and the Preservation of America's Wilderness''
2. [http://www.lib.iup.edu/depts/speccol/exhibits/saylor.html] Indiana University of Pennsylvania Saylor Special Collection
3. "John P. Saylor : Conservationist in Congress".
4. "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.". GovTrack.us.
5. "HR 8601. PASSAGE.".
6. "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE.".
7. "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES.".
8. "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.". GovTrack.us.
9. "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT.".
10. (October 29, 1973). "Heart Attack Fatal To Congressman John P. Saylor". [[Indiana Gazette]].
11. He is buried in [[Grandview Cemetery, Johnstown. Grandview Cemetery]], Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The [[John P. Saylor Trail]] in [[Gallitzin State Forest]] is named after him.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040227110808/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/hiking/saylor.aspx] John P. Saylor Trail
12. and