American lawyer and politician Samuel Rayburn hailed from Texas, where he began his long political career in 1907 as a state legislator. He was subsequently elected to Congress for an astounding 24 consecutive terms. Highly respected among his peers, Rayburn served as Speaker of the House for a total of 17 years and dominated (albeit indirectly) the legislative process and committee assignments. He helped design the New Deal program for Franklin Roosevelt and was also a close advisor to Harry S. Truman.