Sam Rayburn: Sam Rayburn. Self: See It Now. Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn was the last great Speaker of the House of Representatives, a man who exercised great power in his three terms as Speaker (1940-1947; 1949-1953; and 1955-1961). When Mr. Sam was Speaker, Congress was not afraid to legislate on major issues, and the "Imperial Presidency" that evolved during the Cold War was not as strongly rooted. Sam Rayburn served as a Congressman from...
Known For: See It Now (Self)