William R. Poage

Who was William R. Poage?

William Robert Poage was a Texas politician.

Poage was born in Waco, Texas and served in the United States Navy during World War I. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1925 to 1929, and in the Texas Senate from 1931 to 1937.

In 1936, Poage was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat. Poage came down 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. 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.

Poage did not run for re-election in 1978 and retired to his home in Waco, Texas. The following year the W. R. Poage Legislative Library for Graduate Studies and Research was dedicated on the Baylor University Campus to house Poage's congressional papers and the papers of eight other former U. S. Congressmen.