Casper R. Taylor, Jr.

Infobox Officeholder
name = Casper R. Taylor, Jr.

---

caption =
order = 105th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates
term_start = January 8, 1994
term_end = January 8, 2003
deputy =
predecessor = Clayton Mitchell
successor = Michael E. Busch
birth_date = birth date and age|1934|12|19
birth_place = Cumberland, Maryland
death_date =
death_place =
constituency =
party = Democratic
spouse =
profession =
religion = Catholic


footnotes =
order2 = Delegate Maryland District 1C
term_start2 =January 8, 1975
term_end2 =January 8, 2003
president =
predecessor2 =
successor2 =LeRoy E. Myers, Jr.
order3 =
term_start3 =
term_end3 =
predecessor3 =
successor3 =

Casper R. Taylor, Jr. (born December 19, 1934) served as Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1994-2003, the longest recorded Speaker's tenure in Maryland history.

Education

Taylor graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1956, where he was a member of the Air Force ROTC. 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, including the state-backed Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-664266.html A Taylor-Made Crusade; Legislator Is a Redevelopment Engine for Western Md. - The Washington Post - HighBeam Research ] ] . 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. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-577091.html For State House Speaker, a Change of Focus; Taylor's `One Maryland' Vision Shuns Partisanship to Seek More Common Ground - The Washington Post - HighBeam Research ] ]

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, Maryland, and his support for some gun safety laws, which were unpopular in the rural parts of his district. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-401194.html Taylor Appears Beaten; Neall, Baker Lose Seats - The Washington Post - HighBeam Research ] ]

He has 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 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 Thomas Kennedy Award from the Maryland House of Delegates in 2004.

In January 2007, the new House of Delegates office building in Annapolis was named after Taylor. [ [http://www.times-news.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_012091432.html Cumberland Times-News - Building named for Cas ] ] He is now a lobbyist and government relations consultant for the Alexander and Cleaver firm in Annapolis, MD. [ [http://www.alexander-cleaver.com/html/casper_r__taylor__jr_.html Casper R. Taylor, Jr ] ]

Election Results

*2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 01Ccite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2002/results/g_house_of_delegate.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections Retrieved on Sept, 01 2007] ::Voters to choose one::

*1990 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 2Acite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1990/results_1990/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections Retrieved on Nov. 3, 2007] ::Voters to choose one::

*1986 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 2Acite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1986/results_1986/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections Retrieved on Nov. 3, 2007] ::Voters to choose one::

Citations

References

* [http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/former/html/msa12312.html Maryland Archives biography]
* http://www.cnhins.com/politics/cnhinspolitics_story_016075331.html