Gene Taylor (February 10, 1928 – October 27, 1998) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. He was born near

Sarcoxie, Missouri Sarcoxie is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,406 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Sarcoxie was platted in the early 1830s, and it was originally ...

, where Taylor attended local public schools. He attended

Southwest Missouri State College Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

from 1945 to 1947 then served in the One Hundred and Eighth Cavalry, Missouri National Guard from 1948 to 1949. From 1954 to 1960, he served as mayor of Sarcoxie, Missouri while starting his automobile dealership which he ran until 1973. He served as a delegate to

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

s between 1960 and 1968 and as a delegate to Missouri State Republican conventions in 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972. He was also a Republican national committeeman from 1966 to 1972. Taylor was first elected to Congress in 1972, defeating future

U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

John Ashcroft John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist and former politician who served as the 79th U.S. Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2005. A former U.S. Senator from Missouri and the 50th ...

in the primary, and was subsequently re-elected to the seven succeeding congresses, though he was nearly defeated in 1974 and 1982. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1988 to the 101st Congress. He died on October 27, 1998, in Springfield, Missouri. The main post office in Springfield, Missouri is named the Gene Taylor Building in the congressman's honor.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Gene 1928 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American politicians American automobile salespeople Mayors of places in Missouri Missouri National Guard personnel Missouri State University alumni People from Jasper County, Missouri Republican National Committee members Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri