Harry F. Byrd Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry F. Byrd Jr.
United States Senator from Virginia
In office November 12, 1965 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by	Harry F. Byrd Sr.
Succeeded by	Paul Trible
Member of the Virginia Senate from the 24th district
In office January 8, 1958 – November 12, 1965
Preceded by	George S. Aldhizer II
Succeeded by	J. Kenneth Robinson (redistricting)
Member of the Virginia Senate from the 25th district
In office January 14, 1948 – January 8, 1958
Preceded by	Burgess E. Nelson
Succeeded by	Edward O. McCue Jr.
Personal details
Born	Harry Flood Byrd Jr. (1914-12-20)December 20, 1914 Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
Died	July 30, 2013(2013-07-30) (aged 98) Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (before 1970) Independent Democrat (1970–2013)
Spouse	Gretchen Bigelow Thomson ​ ​ (m. 1941; died 1989)​
Relations	Harry Flood Byrd Sr. (father) James M. Thomson (brother-in-law)
Children	Harry III Thomas Beverley
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1941–1945
Battles/wars	World War II

Harry Flood Byrd Jr. (born December 20, 1914 – died July 30, 2013) was an American politician, newspaper publisher, and orchard owner. He served in the state legislature of Virginia and later represented Virginia in the United States Senate. He took over his Senate seat from his father, Harry F. Byrd Sr..

Harry F. Byrd Jr. worked in public service for 36 years. He also published several newspapers in Virginia. In 1970, he left the Democratic Party. He became an independent politician. He was the first independent person in the U.S. Senate to be elected by a majority of votes.

Early Life and Schooling

Harry Flood Byrd Jr. was born on December 20, 1914. His hometown was Winchester, Virginia. He was the oldest child of Harry F. Byrd Sr. and Anne Byrd. His family was one of the "First Families of Virginia," meaning they had a long history in the state. His uncle, Richard E. Byrd, was a famous pilot and explorer.

In 1931, Harry Jr. started at Virginia Military Institute. Two years later, he moved to the University of Virginia. He left college early to help with his family's businesses.

On August 9, 1941, he married Gretchen Thompson. They had three children: Harry, Thomas, and Beverley.

Newspaper Work and Military Service

In 1935, Harry Jr. left college to help his father's newspaper, The Winchester Star. His father had become a U.S. Senator in 1933. Harry Jr. quickly became the editor and publisher of the Star.

He also worked with other newspapers in Virginia. He was the publisher of the Harrisonburg Daily News Record for many years. He later owned the Page Shenandoah Newspaper Corporation. This company published The Page News and Courier and Shenandoah Valley Herald. He worked in the newspaper business for 78 years. His family owned the publishing company for over 100 years.

After he got married, Harry Jr. joined the United States Navy during World War II. He served in the Central Pacific with a bombing squadron. He became a Lieutenant Commander before leaving the Navy in 1946.

After the war, he helped build a new publishing plant for the Star. He also became a director and later vice-president of the Associated Press.

Serving in the Virginia State Senate

In 1948, Harry Jr. was elected to the Senate of Virginia. He represented the area that included Winchester. This was the same area his father had represented. He was the third generation of his family to enter politics. His grandfather, Richard Evelyn Byrd Sr., was Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. His father had been a state senator, Governor, and U.S. Senator.

Harry Jr. believed in careful government spending. He called this a "pay-as-you-go" policy. He felt that government spent too much money. He believed that "Middle America" (regular working people) were often forgotten.

He served in the Virginia Senate from 1948 to 1965. He was a key member of his father's political group, known as the Byrd Organization.

He supported a policy called Massive Resistance. This policy was against ending segregation in public schools. His father led this movement. In 1956, Harry Jr. supported a plan called the Stanley Plan. This plan said that any schools trying to desegregate (end racial separation) had to close. However, courts later said this plan was illegal. The school closures caused problems for many years.

In 1965, voting districts were changed by court order. Harry Jr.'s district was changed. Later that year, his father became ill and retired from the U.S. Senate. The Governor of Virginia appointed Harry Jr. to fill his father's seat. Harry Jr. left the state senate and became a U.S. Senator on November 12, 1965.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

In 1966, Harry Jr. ran for the rest of his father's term in the U.S. Senate. He won the election. However, this election showed that the Byrd Organization's power in Virginia was starting to end.

In 1970, Harry Jr. left the Democratic Party. He decided to become an independent politician. He said he could not promise to support a future presidential candidate he didn't know. He felt it would be "irresponsible."

He then ran for a full term in the Senate in 1970 as an independent. He won with 54 percent of the votes. This made him the first independent to win a statewide election in Virginia. He was also the first independent to win a U.S. Senate seat with a majority of votes.

In 1971, he wrote the Byrd Amendment. This law allowed the U.S. to import certain materials from non-communist countries, even if there were trade bans. This helped allow the import of a material called chromite from Rhodesia. Rhodesia was under a trade boycott from the United Nations at the time.

Harry Jr. continued to work with the Democrats in the Senate. Like his father, he believed in strict federal spending. He even wrote a law that said the government's spending should not be more than its income. He believed that less government was better.

He easily won re-election in 1976 as an independent. This made him the first senator to win election and re-election as an independent.

In the Senate, he served on important committees like the Finance Committee and Armed Services Committee. He also continued to write for his newspapers.

Harry Jr. did not run for re-election in 1982. He returned to his home in Winchester. He and his father had held the "Byrd seat" in the Senate for 50 years in a row. Paul Trible took over his seat.

Life After Politics

Even after retiring from the Senate, Harry Jr. stayed interested in politics. He supported both Republican and Democratic candidates over the years.

He enjoyed his retirement at his home, "Courtfield," in Winchester. He spent time with his nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. His wife, Gretchen, passed away in 1989. He continued to be the chairman of the Star newspaper board for almost 20 years.

In 2003, he was added to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. He also gave lectures at Shenandoah University. In 1984, the business program there was named the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business. However, in 2020, his name was removed from the business school. This was because of his past actions against civil rights.

In 2007, he wrote a book called Double Trouble: Vignettes From A Life of Politics and Newspapering. In 2009, he became the oldest living former U.S. Senator.

Harry Jr. also appeared in a TV show called "Chasing Churchill." He shared memories of when Winston Churchill visited his family's home in Virginia.

Death

Harry F. Byrd Jr. died on July 30, 2013, at his home in Winchester, Virginia. He was 98 years old. At the time of his death, he was the eighth oldest person to have served in the U.S. Senate. Many people remembered him as a man who balanced kindness with strength.

Works

• Byrd, Harry F. (2007). Double Trouble: Vignettes From A Life of Politics and Newspapering. R.R. Donnelly.

See also

In Spanish: Harry F. Byrd, Jr. para niños