Harry F. Byrd Jr.

Harry F. Byrd Jr.
Byrd in 1967
United States Senator
from Virginia
In office
November 12, 1965 – January 3, 1983
Preceded byHarry F. Byrd Sr.
Succeeded byPaul Trible
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 24th district
In office
January 8, 1958 – November 12, 1965
Preceded byGeorge S. Aldhizer II
Succeeded byJ. Kenneth Robinson (redistricting)
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 25th district
In office
January 14, 1948 – January 8, 1958
Preceded byBurgess E. Nelson
Succeeded byEdward O. McCue Jr.
Personal details
Born
Harry Flood Byrd Jr.

(1914-12-20)December 20, 1914
Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJuly 30, 2013(2013-07-30) (aged 98)
Winchester, Virginia, U.S.
Resting placeMount Hebron Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic (before 1970)
Independent Democrat (1970–2013)
Spouse
Gretchen Bigelow Thomson
(m. 1941; died 1989)
RelationsHarry Flood Byrd Sr. (father)
James M. Thomson (brother-in-law)
Children
  • Harry III
  • Thomas
  • Beverley
Alma materVirginia Military Institute
University of Virginia
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1941–1945
RankLieutenant Commander
Battles/warsWorld War II

Harry Flood Byrd Jr. (December 20, 1914 – July 30, 2013) was an American orchardist, newspaper publisher and politician. He served in the Senate of Virginia and then represented Virginia in the United States Senate, succeeding his father, Harry F. Byrd Sr. His public service spanned thirty-six years, while he was a publisher of several Virginia newspapers.[1] After the decline of the Byrd Organization due to its massive resistance to racial integration of public schools, he abandoned the Democratic Party in 1970, citing concern about its leftward tilt. He rehabilitated his political career, becoming the first independent in the history of the U.S. Senate to be elected by a majority of the popular vote.

  1. ^ Baker, Don. "Why They Mattered: Harry F. Byrd Jr". POLITICO Magazine. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved Jan 10, 2020.