William R. Poage | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 11th district |
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In office January 3, 1937 – December 31, 1978 |
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Preceded by | Oliver H. Cross |
Succeeded by | Marvin Leath |
Member of the Texas State Senate from the 13th district | |
In office 1931–1937 |
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Preceded by | Edgar E. Witt |
Succeeded by | William R. Newton, Sr. |
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 2nd district | |
In office 1925–1929 |
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Preceded by | Tom Shires |
Succeeded by | Frank Baldwin |
Personal details | |
Born |
Waco, Texas |
December 28, 1899
Died | January 3, 1987 Temple, Texas |
(aged 87)
Political party | Democratic |
William Robert Poage (December 28, 1899 – January 3, 1987) was a Texas politician.
Poage was born in Waco, Texas and was raised near Woodson. He attended the schools of Throckmorton County, and during World War I served as an apprentice seaman in the United States Navy. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Colorado Boulder before receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 1921. He farmed and taught geology at Baylor before attending Baylor Law School, from which he received his LL.B. in 1924. Poage practiced law in Waco and taught at Baylor Law. A Democrat, he served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1925 to 1929, and the Texas State Senate from 1931 to 1937.
In 1936, Poage was elected to the House of Representatives, He was diagnosed with Ménière's disease, which eventually left him deaf in one ear. In the House, he supported acts designed to help the rural residents of his district. He supported the farm price supports of the Roosevelt Administration, and worked to keep farmers prosperous. Poage was the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture from 1967 to 1975, until he was removed from his position in a revolt by House Democratic Caucus against the Seniority system. The Caucus considered Poage to be too conservative and he was replaced by Tom Foley.