Sam Rayburn's record as Speaker of the House was undoubtedly his best known accomplishment during fifty years in Congress. Nevertheless he played a vital role as proponent of the New Deal during the period from 1933 to 1936 when he was Chairman of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. Since Rayburn's role in passage of early New Deal statutes has been neglected, the purpose of this thesis is to examine his contributions to the Roosevelt Administration as leader in the debates on key legislation.

This thesis will give primary attention to an analysis of invention in selected congressional, campaign, and ceremonial speeches of Sam Rayburn. Such an analysis should reveal the most common modes of persuasion used by the man.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-134).

Several books have been written about Sam Rayburn, but thus far there has been no attempt to analyze Rayburn's rise to power. No one has delved sufficiently into his political philosophy, his motivations, and his personal convictions regarding the pivotal events of the turbulent 1930s. This dissertation endeavors to fill that void by tracing the course of events which led Sam Rayburn to the speakership of the United States House of Representatives. It records his triumphs, his shortcomings, the concessions he made, and the people he served in order to achieve his life's ambition. The scope of this study ranges from Rayburn's first expression of interest in the speakership to his elevation to that position in 1940. Brief coverage is given to his three terms in the Texas Legislature, beginning in 1906, and his election to Congress in 1912. A more extensive analysis is made of his early congressional association with John Nance Garner and its pivotal influence on his career. A brief analysis is offered of Rayburn's political and legislative activities prior to the election of 1932. The primary emphasis of this study, however, revolves around Rayburn's activities during the years 1932-1940-- the first two terms of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the period in which Sam Rayburn completed his methodical odyssey to the speakership.

No description available.

The economic disaster known as the Great Depression struck Grayson County, Texas, in 1929, and full economic recovery did not come until the close of World War II. However, the people of Grayson benefited greatly between 1933 and 1946 from the myriad spending programs of the New Deal, the building of the Denison Dam that created Lake Texoma, and the establishment of Perrin Army Air Field. Utilizing statistical data from the United States Census and the Texas Almanac, this thesis analyzes the role of government spending‐federal, state, and local‐in the economic recovery in Grayson County.