Clyde Taylor Ellis (December 21, 1908 – February 9, 1980) was an American politician and a
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
.
Biography
Born on a farm near
Garfield, Arkansas
Garfield is a town in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
History
Garfield was platted in 1883. A post office has been in operation at Garfield since 18 ...
, Ellis was the son of Cecil Oscar and Minerva Jane Taylor Ellis. He attended the public schools of
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville () is the second-largest city in Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, and the biggest city in Northwest Arkansas. The city is on the outskirts of the Boston Mountains, deep within the Ozarks. Known as Washington until ...
. He also attended the
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
from which he received a B.S.; the school of law at the same university; as well as
George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of cou ...
and
American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
He married Izella Baker on December 20, 1931, and they had two daughters, Patricia Suzanne Ellis Marti and Mary Lynn Ellis Duty.
Career
Ellis was a teacher in the rural schools at
Garfield, Arkansas
Garfield is a town in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
History
Garfield was platted in 1883. A post office has been in operation at Garfield since 18 ...
in 1927 and 1928; then Superintendent of Schools at
Garfield, Arkansas
Garfield is a town in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 502 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
History
Garfield was platted in 1883. A post office has been in operation at Garfield since 18 ...
from 1929 to 1934.
Admitted to the bar
An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1933, he commenced practice at
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, tenth-largest city in Arkansas, United States and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adja ...
. He served in the State House of Representatives from 1933 to 1935, and as member of the State Senate from 1935 to 1939. He was a delegate to the Democrat National Convention in 1940.
Elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
Seventy-sixth Congress, Ellis was reelected to the
Seventy-seventh Congress, and served from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1943. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1942 but was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
.
Ellis served as combat officer, Lieutenant, in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
from 1943 to 1945. He was the first general manager (CEO) of the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) represents the interests of over 900 electric cooperatives in the United States. Cooperatives are not-for-profit and are owned by their membership. Founded in 1942, NRECA unites the coun ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, from January 1943 until his retirement in September 1967. He was appointed as special consultant to the Secretary of Agriculture, January 1968 to January 1969, and served as special area development assistant to Senator John L. McClellan from February 1971 until 1977. He returned to the staff of the Secretary of Agriculture and was employed there until his retirement in August 1979. He resided in
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase () is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place (Chevy Chase (CDP), Maryland) that straddle the northwest border of Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Several settlements in th ...
.
Ellis was known as "Mr. Rural Electrification" and wrote a book titled "A Giant Step," which was published in 1966. The work was dedicated "...to the people of the rural electrification program – past and present." It is semi-autobiographical and describes relevant contributions from many of the greatest proponents of rural electrification that Ellis came to work with in his career.
Death
Ellis died from a stroke in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, on February 9, 1980 (age 71 years, 50 days). He is
interred
Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
, Arlington, Virginia.
He was the father of two children and the grandfather of
Diana West, a noted author and lecturer on breastfeeding issues.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Clyde Taylor
1908 births
1980 deaths
American cooperative organizers
United States Navy officers
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas
George Washington University Law School alumni
20th-century American politicians