John P. Saylor

John Phillips Saylor was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania serving from 1949 until his death in 1973. Saylor was born in Conemaugh Township, Somerset County. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1929 and the Dickinson School of Law in 1933.

During his time in Congress, Saylor was dedicated to several environmental causes, including the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Act, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and in opposition to the Kinzua Dam Project. He was dubbed “St. John” by environmental advocates for his dogged work on environmental issues.

In 1970 the Izaak Walton League of America bestowed its highest honor, the Founders’ Award, to Saylor “for two decades of unprecedented leadership in the Congress of the United States for sound resource management, the preservation of natural scenic and cultural values, the maintenance of a quality environment, and the unalienable right of citizens to be involved in resources and environmental decisions.”

Saylor passed away in 1973 at the age of 65. The John P. Saylor Trail in Gallitzin State Forest is named after him.