WASHINGTON, DC -- The House of Representatives approved by voice vote a resolution introduced by Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX/4th) in honor of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum on October 9. 

Congressman Hall spoke on the Floor of the House in support of H.Res. 709.  His remarks are as follows: 

“Samuel "Sam" Taliaferro Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee on January 6, 1882, the eighth of 11 children, and moved west with his family to a 40-acre cotton farm in Fannin County near the little community of Flag Springs, Texas in 1887.  Many Tennesseeans like Sam Rayburn and Sam Houston were great leaders and builders of the State of Texas.

From those humble beginnings, “Mr. Sam," as he became known, rose to become one of Texas' — and the United States'— greatest statesmen. He held elective office for 55 consecutive years beginning in 1906 with his election to the Texas House of Representatives. He was elected 24 times to the U.S. House of Representatives (representing Texas' Fourth District) and spent 17 of those years as Speaker of the House, a position that put him third in line for the U.S. presidency. At the time of his death in 1961, Rayburn's 48 consecutive years in the U.S. House set a congressional record for continuous service.

Sam Rayburn was selected to replace the deceased William Bankhead as Speaker of the House, a position he held for a record number seventeen and half years.  He also served as minority leader during the 80th and 83rd Congresses, the two periods of Republican majorities in the House of Representatives. Rayburn served with eight different presidents and helped to pass several pieces of key legislation throughout his career:

The Selective Service Act in 1941;
 The Civil Rights Act in 1957 and 1960;
 Establishment of NASA;
 The National Defense Education Act in 1958;
 The Hospital Survey and Construction Act in 1958.

The office of Speaker lacked great formal powers when he first took office, but Rayburn quickly expanded the power and influence of the office.  Rayburn relied heavily on his personal prestige, persuasive skills, and personal friendships built up over decades in the House.  His leadership style usually resulted in congenial relations between not only the northern and southern wings of the Democratic Party, but also between Rayburn and the Republican leadership of the House.  Rayburn’s actions during his long tenure as Speaker increased the power of the House of Representatives in its relations with the Senate and with the Executive branch.

Following his election as Speaker, Rayburn wanted to build a library to house his books, personal papers, and memoirs.  He also wanted the facility to be a resource center of political history available to the people of Fannin County and his congressional district.  With the advice of Secretary of Treasury John Snyder, Rayburn requested that Judge H.A. Cunningham, a good friend from Bonham, arrange to have a charitable trust established for the purposes of receiving and managing funds donated to assist in building the library.  The Speaker also contacted Buster Cole, a young lawyer from Bonham, to assist in the process of setting up the trust. An earlier $10,000 award from Collier’s magazine served as a financial base for the Foundation.

Sam Rayburn, representatives of the Sam Rayburn Foundation and hundreds of admirers gathered to break ground for the library in December of 1955.  The library construction was completed in July 1957, and the Sam Rayburn Library officially opened to the public October 9, 1957 in a ceremony that garnered national attention and media coverage. Businesses were closed for the day and downtown Bonham was decorated with banners and bunting.  Many distinguished political leaders attended the dedication including: President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess Truman; Secretary of Treasury Robert Anderson; Congressman Hale Boggs of Louisiana; Congressman Richard Bolling of Missouri; Governor of Arizona, Ernest McFarland; former Governor and current Congressman Earle C. Clements of Kentucky; and the majority of the congressional delegations from Texas and Oklahoma, among them Lyndon B. Johnson, Jim Wright, Carl Albert and Tom Steed.  There were approximately eleven television and radio stations on hand to report all the activities.

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of the library and in recognition of the completion of Phase One of the museum restoration program, the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum hosted an open house and reception on Tuesday, October 9. 

An exhibit featuring historic images of the dedication as well as items pertaining to the recent renovation project were on display. The open house and reception honored Speaker Rayburn and recognized the many supporters and contributors who helped fund the recent renovation project.

Dr. Patrick Cox, associate director of The Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin; Curtis Smith, president of Friends of Sam Rayburn; Dr. Don Carleton, executive director The Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin; Martha Rayburn Dye, closest living relative of Speaker Rayburn; Dee J. Kelly, prominent Fort Worth Attorney and former staff member to Speaker Rayburn; H.G. Dulaney, former staff member to Speaker Rayburn and the former director of the Sam Rayburn Library; and Bonham mayor Roy Floyd.

The renovation included a new roof and improved drainage system for the building, a more efficient heating and cooling system, upgraded accessibility to the museum, and a thorough cleaning and resealing of the building exterior.  These improvements will not only preserve this historic structure but also provide added protection for the valuable collections and artifacts housed in the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum.

I am pleased to offer this resolution today honoring the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, and I urge my colleagues’ support in recognition of this great facility that chronicles an important era in the history of our Nation. 

Rep. Ralph Hall