Skip Navigation

Sign In or Register

West-virginia-encyclopedia-text

SharePrint Harry F. Byrd

21531a_byrdp_medium

U.S. Senator Harry Flood Byrd (June 10, 1887-October 20, 1966) was the pivotal figure of 20th century Virginia politics. He was born in West Virginia, at his mother’s ancestral home in Martinsburg. His brother was polar explorer Richard E. Byrd.

Byrd’s mother, Eleanor Bolling Flood, was the great-granddaughter of Gen. Elisha Boyd, who built the Martinsburg mansion known as Boydville in 1812. Byrd’s great-uncle, Charles James Faulkner of Martinsburg, was U.S. ambassador to France and later an aide to Stonewall Jackson. Byrd was descended on his father’s side from the William Byrd family, who were among Virginia’s early aristocrats.

Harry Byrd, who grew up in Winchester, Virginia, and later lived in nearby Berryville, made a fortune as an orchard-man and newspaper publisher. He owned newspapers in Winchester and Harrisonburg, Virginia, and in 1907 established the Martinsburg Evening Journal. Having served as governor of Virginia (1925–29), he was appointed to a U.S. Senate vacancy in 1933 and reelected each term thereafter until his retirement in 1965. The ‘‘Byrd Machine’’ ran Virginia politics throughout these years. The conservative Byrd opposed President Roosevelt’s New Deal. His son, Harry Byrd Jr., succeeded him in the Senate.

Last Revised on October 18, 2023


Cite This Article

e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia "Harry F. Byrd." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 18 October 2023. Web. 08 October 2024.

Comments?

There aren't any comments for this article yet.

West Virginia Humanities Council | 1310 Kanawha Blvd E | Charleston, WV 25301 Ph. 304-346-8500 | © 2024 All Rights Reserved

About e-WV | Our Sponsors | Help & Support | Contact Us The essential guide to the Mountain State can be yours today! Click here to order.