Casper R. Taylor Jr. (December 19, 1934 – April 24, 2023) was an American politician who served as Speaker of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

from 1994 to 2003, amongst the longest Speaker's tenures in Maryland history. He also represented Districts 1C and 2A in the House of Delegates from 1975 to 2003.

Education

Taylor graduated from the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

in 1956, where he was a member of the

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. He started out his career as a restaurant owner, and was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1974.

Career

Taylor is credited with helping to bring millions of dollars of state and private investments to the aid of his struggling district in

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

, including the state-backed Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort. In the State House, Taylor authored many pieces of legislation over the course of his tenure, including the "One Maryland" bill, aimed at providing tax havens and other incentives for businesses to invest in depressed parts of the state. Taylor was first elected to the House of Delegates for the 1975 legislative session to represent District 2A. In the 1994 election, he successfully ran as delegate for the newly created District 1C. Taylor served until 2003 after losing his seat in the 2002 election. His loss is generally attributed to redrawn legislative district lines that added four heavily Republican precincts in Washington County to his traditionally Democratic district based around Cumberland, and his support for some

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...

laws, which were unpopular in the rural parts of his district. Taylor received numerous awards, including the Legislator Recognition Award from the Maryland Association of Counties in 1994 and 2001. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the

College of Notre Dame Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) is a private Catholic university in Belmont, California. It is the third oldest college in California and the first college in the state authorized to grant the baccalaureate degree to women. In 2021, the u ...

in 2001, Frostburg State University in 2000, and Villa Julie College in 1995. He received the First Citizen Award from the Maryland Senate in 2003 and the

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from the

in 2004. In June 2003, Taylor became a lobbyist and government relations consultant for the Alexander and Cleaver firm in Annapolis. In January 2007, the new House of Delegates office building in Annapolis was named after Taylor. In May 2022, the Baltimore Street Bridge in Cumberland, Maryland, was named after Taylor.

Death

Taylor died at his home in Cumberland, Maryland, on April 24, 2023, at the age of 88. On April 29, Governor

Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, investment banker, author, and television producer. He is the governor-elect of Maryland, after defeating Republican Dan Cox in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial ele ...

ordered state flags to fly at half-staff in Taylor's honor.

Election results

*2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 01C ::Voters to choose one: : *1998 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 01C ::Voters to choose one: : *1994 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 01C ::Voters to choose one: : *1990 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 2A ::Voters to choose one: : *1986 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 2A ::Voters to choose one: :

Citations

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Casper R. Jr. 1934 births 2023 deaths People from Frostburg, Maryland Speakers of the Maryland House of Delegates Politicians from Cumberland, Maryland University of Notre Dame alumni 20th-century American legislators 21st-century American legislators 20th-century Maryland politicians 21st-century Maryland politicians