Burt Talcott
American politician (1920–2016)
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Burt Lacklen Talcott (February 22, 1920 – July 29, 2016) was an American World War II veteran and politician who served seven terms as a member of the United States Congress from the State of California from 1963 to 1977.
16th district (1975–77)
February 22, 1920
Burt L. Talcott | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | New district (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Leon Panetta |
| Constituency | 12th district (1963–75) 16th district (1975–77) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Burt Lacklen Talcott February 22, 1920 Billings, Montana, U.S. |
| Died | July 29, 2016 (aged 96) Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lee Taylor (m. 1942–2010; her death) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Occupation | lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Awards | Air Medal, Purple Heart |
Military career
Born in Billings, Montana,[1] Talcott received his degree from Stanford University in 1942, after which he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps where he became a bomber pilot.
Prisoner of War
On a mission in a B-24[2] over Austria, Talcott was shot down and captured, spending 14 months in a German Prisoner-of-war camp. Upon his discharge from the military in 1945 he received the Air Medal and Purple Heart with clusters.[3]
Political career
Talcott served on the Monterey County, California Board of Supervisors and was president of the county board.
Congress
Talcott was elected to the 88th United States Congress as a Republican and served seven terms (January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1977) before losing his seat in 1976 to Leon Panetta in a close race, as Panetta prevailed with 53% of the vote.[4][5][6][7]
Talcott voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964,[8] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[9] He voted for the initial House Resolution of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 but voted against the final Senate amendments to the Act.[10][11]
Following his loss, Talcott engaged in a variety of private and public legislative work.[12]
Personal life
He resided in Tacoma, Washington, with his son and daughter-in-law, Ron & "Gigi" Talcott. He always made time for his faith and his family. He was elected to serve on the Charter Review Commission Dist. 7 Pos. 3 of Pierce County.[3]
His wife, Lee Taylor, whom he married in 1942, died in 2010.[13] Both Lee and Burt played active roles in the raising of their two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He could be found supporting his alma mater, Stanford, and making milkshake bets with his great-grandson over the outcome of their football games. The year he passed, he took a 10-hour road trip to Idaho, just to watch his 3rd eldest great-granddaughter graduate from high school.[14]
Death
Burt Talcott died in Tacoma on July 29, 2016, at the age of 96. His remains were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Talcott (Incumbent) | 75,424 | 61.3% | ||
| Democratic | William K. Steward | 47,576 | 38.7% | ||
| Total votes | 123,000 | 100.0% | |||
| Turnout | |||||
| Republican win (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Talcott (Incumbent) | 93,112 | 61.9% | |
| Democratic | William K. Steward | 57,242 | 38.1% | |
| Total votes | 150,354 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Talcott (Incumbent) | 108,070 | 77.3% | |
| Democratic | Gerald V. Barron | 31,787 | 22.7% | |
| Total votes | 139,857 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Talcott (Incumbent) | 140,713 | 94.9% | |
| American Independent | Ann J. Holliday | 7,593 | 5.1% | |
| Total votes | 148,308 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Talcott (Incumbent) | 95,549 | 63.6% | |
| Democratic | O'Brien Riordan | 50,942 | 33.9% | |
| Peace and Freedom | Herbert H. Foster Jr. | 3,682 | 2.5% | |
| Total votes | 150,173 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
1972
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Talcott (Incumbent) | 105,555 | 54.0% | |
| Democratic | Julian Camacho | 84,268 | 43.1% | |
| American Independent | Stanley K. Monteith | 5,753 | 2.9% | |
| Total votes | 195,576 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt L. Talcott (incumbent) | 76,084 | 49.2 | |
| Democratic | Julian Camacho | 74,018 | 47.8 | |
| American Independent | D. Jeff Mauro | 4,576 | 3.0 | |
| Total votes | 154,678 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Leon Panetta | 104,545 | 53.4 | |||
| Republican | Burt L. Talcott (incumbent) | 91,160 | 46.6 | |||
| Total votes | 195,705 | 100.0 | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
