William Robert Poage (December 28, 1899 – January 3, 1987) was a Texas politician who won election to the United States House of Representatives 21 times, serving 41 years.

He attended the schools of Throckmorton County, and during World War I served as an apprentice seaman in the United States Navy.

[1] Poage was the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture from 1967 to 1975, until he was removed from his position in a revolt by House Democratic Caucus against the Seniority system.

He was one of the majority of the Texan delegation to decline to sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto[2] opposing the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education.

[7][8][9] And, when lobbied by the Johnson administration to support the War on Poverty legislation for the opportunities and services it would provide, Poage responded, "Oh, I see!