born Jan. 6, 1882, Roane county, Tenn., U.S.
died Nov. 16, 1961, Bonham, Texas
U.S. politician.
He taught school in Texas before becoming a lawyer. He served in the state legislature from 1907 to 1913. In 1912 he was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for the next 48 years, including 17 years as speaker (1940–46, 1949–53, 1955–61). A skillful tactician, he influenced the passage of much New Deal legislation and cowrote the bill enacting rural electrification. He was the long-time political mentor of Lyndon B. Johnson and a trusted adviser to presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy .