John Taber (May 5, 1880 – November 22, 1965) was an American attorney and New York politician who represented parts of the Finger Lakes and Central New York regions[a] in the United States House of Representatives from 1923 to 1963.

John Taber
Chair of the House Appropriations Committee
In office
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955
Preceded byClarence Cannon
Succeeded byClarence Cannon
In office
January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Preceded byClarence Cannon
Succeeded byClarence Cannon
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from New York
In office
March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1963
Preceded byNorman J. Gould
Succeeded byFrank Horton
Constituency36th district (1923–1945)
38th district (1945–1953)
36th district (1953–1963)
Personal details
Born(1880-05-05)May 5, 1880
Auburn, New York, US
DiedNovember 22, 1965(1965-11-22) (aged 85)
Auburn, New York, US
Resting placeFort Hill Cemetery, Auburn
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Gertrude Johnson Beard
(m. 1929; died 1964)
Children1
Alma materYale University
New York Law School
ProfessionAttorney

Biography

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Taber was born in Auburn, New York, on May 5, 1880, the son of attorney and businessman Franklin P. Taber and Susan (Parker) Taber. He attended the public schools of Auburn, and graduated from Auburn High School in 1898. He graduated from Yale University in 1902, and received his law degree from New York Law School in 1904. He attained admission to the bar in November 1914, and commenced practice in Auburn.

Taber represented Auburn's second ward on the Cayuga County Board of Supervisors in 1905 and 1906. From 1910 to 1918, he served as a special judge of the county court. Taber was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1920, 1924, and 1936, and chairman of the Cayuga County Republican Committee from 1920 to 1925. In 1922, he was chosen to serve as president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

He represented New York in the House of Representatives as a Republican from the 68th to the 87th Congresses (March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1963), where he was the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations during the 80th and 83rd Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination to the 88th Congress in 1962. Taber voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960,[1][2] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.[3]

Taber died in Auburn on November 22, 1965, and was interred at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn.

Family

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In 1929, Taber married Gertrude Johnson Beard, who had been working as his secretary. They were the parents of a son, Charles Beard Taber (1920-1969).

Notes

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  1. ^ Taber represented Cayuga, Ontario, Seneca, and Yates counties for his entire career. Taber represented Wayne County from 1923 to 1945, Cortland County from 1945 to 1963, and three counties in the Southern Tier (Chenango, Schuyler, and Tompkins) from 1953 to 1963.

References

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  1. ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
  2. ^ "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
  3. ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.

Bibliography

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Congressman John Taber of Auburn: Politics and Federal Appropriations, 1923–1962, Cary S. Henderson, Ph.D. dissertation, Duke University, 1964.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 36th congressional district

1923–1945
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 38th congressional district

1945–1953
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 36th congressional district

1953–1963
Succeeded by
  NODES
Note 3