“I know now I was wrong. Intolerance had no place in America. I apologized a thousand times . . . and I don”
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Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was an American politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia from 1959 until his death in 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd had also been the U.S. representative for the West Virginia's 6th congressional district from 1953 to 1959. He remains the longest-serving U.S. senator in history, and was also the longest-serving member in the history of…
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politics · American politician (1917–2010) · politician · lawyer · historian · fiddler · also Robert Byrd, Robert Carlyle Byrd, Robert C. Byrd, Byrd
Born 20 November 1917 · Died 28 June 2010 · Q276524
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President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd Discusses the Early History of the Senate
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2026· 24 entries
“the beginning of big changes in me.”
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“I wanted to help my people and give them hope. . . . I”
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“Robert C. Byrd: Child of the Appalachian Coalfields”
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“a document we in Congress can work with, one based on realistic assumptions, one which shows a much clearer trend toward a balanced budget”
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“want a six-month delay in Social Security while leaving in place the third year of the tax cut for upper-income people”
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“the need on both sides for avoidance of inflammatory rhetoric which can only be counterproductive”
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“to give ample time for debate on the measure”
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“s request for $507 million for refugee transport and resettlement would be reduced, citing its lack of political support in the United States. In September, Byrd sponsored an amendment to the appropriations bill that if enacted would bar the education department from ordering busing to the school nearest to a pupil”
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“s first nomination that he had not voted to confirm and that testimony at hearings investigating Kleindienst”
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“pernicious doctrine that the Federal Government owes a living to people who don”
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“I have never in my life played a game of cards. I have never in my life had a golf club in my hand. I have never in life hit a tennis ball. I have—believe it or not—never thrown a line over to catch a fish. I don”
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“Bobby-come-lately has made a mistake. I won”
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“s lack of intelligence, preparation, underestimating of the morale and vitality of the Viet Cong, and overestimated how backed Americans would be by South Vietnam. President Johnson rejected Byrd”
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WBOY.com: High School Football Preview: Robert C. Byrd
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MaxPreps: Robert C. Byrd Boys JV Soccer @ Ripley
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MaxPreps: Schedule - Robert C. Byrd Eagles (Clarksburg, WV) JV Football 26-27
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Stauffer Funeral Homes: Pernell Robert Byrd Obituary Jul 20, 2026
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MaxPreps: Schedule - Robert C. Byrd Eagles (Clarksburg, WV) Baseball 26-27
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MaxPreps: Robert C. Byrd High School (Clarksburg, WV) Baseball
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WV News: Robert C Byrd wins second straight golf meet
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WV News: Robert C. Byrd girls soccer looks to take the next step: states
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Encyclopaedia Britannica: Robert C. Byrd
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Public attention spiked: 13,179 Wikipedia readers in one day, 15.1× the usual 871, with 1 article edits. Editors noted: Ku Klux Klan ce
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2020· 1 entry
AP News rated the claim “When former KKK Grand Wizard Robert Byrd died in 2010, he was eulogized by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.” Partly false.
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2016· 2 entries
Snopes rated the claim “A photograph shows former Senator Robert Byrd wearing Ku Klux Klan robes.” False.
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Snopes rated the claim “A photograph shows Hillary Clinton with former Ku Klux Klan member Robert Byrd.” True.
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2014· 1 entry
The Byrd Center for Legislative Studies (now the Robert C
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2010· 5 entries
The Guardian: Robert Byrd obituary
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The Guardian: Michael Tomasky: Robert Byrd
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At the age of 92, and was buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia
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Died 2010-06-28.
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As a result of the 2006 Senate elections
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2009· 4 entries
Byrd referenced recently deceased Senator Ted Kennedy, a devoted proponent, when casting his vote: "Mr
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Byrd became the longest-serving member in congressional history, with 56 years, 320 days of combined service in the House and Senate, passing Carl Hayden of Arizona
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Byrd was one of two Democrats to vote against the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009, which if it had become law would have added a voting seat in the United States House of Representatives for the Dist
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Byrd was one of three Democrats to vote against the confirmation of Timothy Geithner as United States Secretary of the Treasury (along with Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Tom Harkin of Iowa)
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2008· 2 entries
Byrd endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama for president
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“Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support”
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2007· 3 entries
Byrd gave a 25-minute speech in the Senate against dog fighting in response to the indictment of football player Michael Vick
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Awarded Friend of History Award (2007).
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Byrd became the last living United States senator from the 1950s
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2006· 1 entry
Surpassing Strom Thurmond of South Carolina with 17,327 days of service
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2005· 2 entries
“I know now I was wrong. Intolerance had no place in America. I apologized a thousand times … and I don”
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Byrd told The Washington Post that his membership in the Baptist church led to a change in his views
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2004· 1 entry
Byrd received the American Historical Association's first Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award for Civil Service; in 2007, Byrd received the Friend of History Award from the Organization of American Historians
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2003· 4 entries
Awarded Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class (2003).
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The Guardian: Robert Byrd: Why I weep for my country
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The Guardian: Robert Byrd: We stand passively mute
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However, he voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which prohibits intact dilation and extraction
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2002· 1 entry
Byrd secured unanimous approval for a major national initiative to strengthen the teaching of "traditional American history" in K-12 public schools
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1997· 2 entries
Career landmark: United States senator (1997–1999).
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Told an interviewer he would encourage young people to become involved in politics but also warned, "Be sure you avoid the Ku Klux Klan
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1996· 1 entry
Before the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act, he said, "The drive for same-sex marriage is, in effect, an effort to make a sneak attack on society by encoding this aberrant behavior in legal form before society itse
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1995· 2 entries
Career landmark: United States senator (1995–1997).
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Byrd voted against a ban on intact dilation and extraction, a late-term abortion procedure typically referred to by its opponents as "partial-birth abortion"
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1994· 2 entries
Studied at Marshall University, Bachelor of Arts (1994).
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Graduated summa cum laude from Marshall University
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1993· 2 entries
Career landmark: United States senator (1993–1995).
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The program began providing four-year scholarships
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1991· 4 entries
“I believe what she said. I did not see on that face the knotted brow of satanic revenge. I did not see a face that was contorted with hate. I did not hear a voice that was tremulous with passion. I saw the face of a woman, one of 13 in a family of Southern blacks who grew up on the farm and who belonged to the church”
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“is very considerate of the taxpayers when it comes to financing projects in other states, but he supports such projects in his own state”
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Career landmark: United States senator (1991–1993).
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And funds for highways, dams, educational institutions, and federal agency offices flowed unabated over the course of his membership
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1989· 3 entries
Byrd set a goal securing a total of $1 billion for public works in the state
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Stepped down, following the pressure to make way for new party leadership
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Career landmark: United States senator (1989–1991).
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1988· 1 entry
Majority leader Byrd moved a call of the Senate, which was adopted by the majority present, in order to have the Sergeant-at-Arms arrest members not in attendance
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1987· 1 entry
Career landmark: United States senator (1987–1989).
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1985· 3 entries
Congress approved the nation's only merit-based scholarship program funded through the U
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Career landmark: United States senator (1985–1987).
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Following the retirement of Jennings Randolph
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1983· 3 entries
Over the passage of the law creating the Martin Luther King Jr
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Career landmark: United States senator (1983–1985).
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Byrd voted in favor of making Martin Luther King Day a national holiday
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1982· 1 entry
Byrd voted against a measure sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch that sought to reverse Roe v
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1981· 2 entries
Career landmark: United States senator (1981–1983).
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“s proposed budget for the fiscal year 1982 during a weekly news conference, citing that the”
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1980· 2 entries
Byrd called for President Carter to debate Senate member Ted Kennedy, who he complimented as having done a service for the US by raising key issues in his presidential campaign
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Campaign: 1980 presidential election.
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1979· 1 entry
Career landmark: United States senator (1979–1981).
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1978· 2 entries
Byrd and Minority Leader Baker invited all other senators to join them in sponsoring two amendments to the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, the two party leaders sending copies of amendments recommended by the Foreign Relations
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“s labor law revision bill until after the Memorial Day recess. The decision was seen as allowing wavering senators to not be cornered on their votes as lobbying efforts for both business and labor commenced and various opponents of the bill viewed Byrd”
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1977· 2 entries
After the Senate established a special 15‐member committee to draw up a code of ethics for senators, Byrd and Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker announced their support for the resolution, Byrd adding that knowledge of
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Career landmark: United States senator (1977–1979).
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1975· 1 entry
Career landmark: United States senator (1975–1977).
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1974· 1 entry
The Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously to recommend the nomination of Nelson Rockefeller as Vice President of the United States to the full Senate
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1973· 1 entry
Career landmark: United States senator (1973–1975).
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1971· 3 entries
To become Majority Whip, the second highest-ranking Democrat, until 1977
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Career landmark: whip (1971–1977).
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Career landmark: United States senator (1971–1973).
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1970· 2 entries
“no nomination should be voted on within 24 hours after the hearing”
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1994 and 2000—he won all 55 of West Virginia's counties
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1969· 2 entries
Byrd launched a Scholastic Recognition Award; he also began to present a savings bond to valedictorians from high schools—public and private—in West Virginia
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Career landmark: United States senator (1969–1971).
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1968· 2 entries
Byrd criticized a Memphis, Tennessee, protest: "It was a shameful and totally uncalled for outburst of lawlessness undoubtedly encouraged to some considerable degree, at least, by his [Dr
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Campaign: 1968 presidential election.
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1967· 2 entries
Career landmark: secretary (1967–1971).
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Career landmark: United States senator (1967–1969).
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1965· 2 entries
Career landmark: United States senator (1965–1967).
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The state abolished capital punishment, with the last execution having occurred in 1959
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1963· 3 entries
And presented the graduates their diplomas, including Byrd
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Studied at Washington College of Law, Juris Doctor (1963).
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Career landmark: United States senator (1963–1965).
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1959· 1 entry
Hired one of the Capitol's first Black congressional aides, and he also took steps to integrate the United States Capitol Police for the first time since the Reconstruction Era
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1957· 1 entry
But voted against the Senate amendment to the bill on August 27, 1957
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1953· 1 entry
While a member of the United States House of Representatives
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1952· 3 entries
Announced that, "after about a year, I became disinterested, quit paying my dues, and dropped my membership in the organization", and that during the nine years that have followed, he had never been interested in the
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Byrd was elected to the United States House of Representatives for West Virginia's 6th congressional district, succeeding E
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Where he served there for six years before being elected to the Senate in 1958
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1951· 1 entry
Byrd was among the official witnesses of the execution of Harry Burdette and Fred Painter, which was the first use of the electric chair in West Virginia
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1950· 1 entry
Was elected to the West Virginia Senate, where he served from December 1950 to December 1952
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1946· 2 entries
Won a seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing Raleigh County from 1947 to 1950
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Byrd wrote a letter to Samuel Green, the Ku Klux Klan's Grand Wizard, stating, "The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation"
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1937· 1 entry
Byrd married Erma Ora James (June 12, 1917 – March 25, 2006) who was born to a coal mining family in Floyd County, Virginia
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1917· 1 entry
Born 1917-11-20.
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