Robert Low Bacon was an American politician, a banker and military officer. He served as a congressman from New York from 1923 until his death in 1938. He is known as one of the authors of the Davis–Bacon Act of 1931, which regulates wages for employees on federal projects.
After graduation, Bacon was employed at the United States Treasury Department, where he worked until 1911. He moved to Old Westbury, New York to engage in banking in New York City. Bacon attended the business men's training camp at Plattsburgh in 1915, and served on the Texas border with the New York National Guard in 1916 at the Texas border. During World War I, he served with the Field Artillery, United States Army from April 24, 1917, to January 2, 1919. He attained the rank of major and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Commissioned in the United States Officers' Reserve Corps with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1919, he was promoted to colonel in January 1923 and served until his death. Bacon was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois in 1920. In 1922, after Frederick C. Hicks declines to seek another term, Bacon stepped into the race. His opponent was fellow Long Islander, S.A. Warner Baltazzi, whom he defeated in the fall. He entered Congress as a “wet”, someone who did not support prohibition while still continuing his military career in the Officers' Reserve Corps during his years in the House of Representatives. He faced no significant opposition over his career with the 1932 election possibly being his greatest challenge. That year, he faced Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney another wealthy member of Long Island society in a race that pitted Bacon against the landslide victory of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Both men belonged to many of the same private clubs and the race became bitter, with Bacon prevailing. Bacon's longest lasting political achievement may be the Davis–Bacon Act of 1931 which remain in force, with amendments. Bacon introduced similar legislation for many years and succeeded in securing passage after workings on depression-era federal spending projects found that jobs were going to cheaper workers from other areas. Bacon was a supporter of the repeal of prohibition and introduced a proposal to amend the 18th amendment to allow states to regulate alcohol. This amendment failed; but prohibition was ultimately repealed in 1933.
