Robert Byrd Exhibit Coming to CU

Senator Robert C. Byrd served the state of West Virginia for many years
Photo courtesy of byrd.senate.gov

“Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian,” a major traveling exhibit on the life and career of the late senator, will visit the Marsh Library at Concord University during the entire month of October.

    The exhibit honors the 100th anniversary of the birth of Senator Byrd and includes digital representations of more than 100 documents and photographs from the extensive Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers Collection. The Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History & Education is sponsoring the exhibit along with the non-profit Congressional Education Foundation, Inc.

“This exhibit shares the story of the longest serving United States Senator: his early life and entrance into politics; his devotion to family and to the people of West Virginia; his public service and rise to leadership positions in the U.S. Senate; and the Senator’s role as defender of the U.S. Constitution,” said Ray Smock, director of the Byrd Center.

    Born November 20, 1917, and a member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010. He was the longest-serving U.S. Senator and, at the time of his death, the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Congress.  Byrd is also the only West Virginian to have served in both houses of the state legislature and both houses of Congress.

    Byrd served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1947 to 1950, and the West Virginia State Senate from 1950 to 1952. Initially elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1952, Byrd served there for six years before being elected to the Senate in 1958. He rose to become one of the Senate’s most powerful members, serving as secretary of the Senate Democratic Caucus from 1967 to 1971 and—after defeating his longtime colleague, Ted Kennedy—as Senate Majority Whip from 1971 to 1977. Byrd led the Democratic caucus as Senate Majority Leader from 1977 to 1981 and 1987 to 1989, and as Senate Minority Leader from 1981 to 1987. From 1989 to 2010 he served as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate when the Democratic Party had a majority, and as President pro tempore emeritus during periods of Republican majority beginning in 2001. As President pro tempore, he was third in the line of presidential succession, behind the Vice President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He also served as the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations from 1989 to 1995, 2001 to 2003, and 2007 to 2009, giving him extraordinary influence over federal spending.

    An opening reception for the exhibit’s visit at Concord will be held in the Marsh Library on Wednesday, October 5 at 11 a.m. where Dr. David A. Corbin will serve as the guest speaker.

Corbin worked in the U.S. Senate for 26 years – six years on Senator Byrd’s leadership staff while he was Senate Majority Leader and 10 years on the leadership staffs of Senate Majority Leaders George Mitchell and Tom Daschle. He also served as Senator Byrd’s speech writer for the last 10 years of Byrd’s career. Corbin is the author of “The Last Great Senator: Robert C. Byrd’s Encounters with Eleven U.S. Presidents”.

    The reception will be open to the general public with no admission charge, and will available for viewing Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Schools within West Virginia, and other groups wishing to visit the exhibit, should contact Connie Shumate at 304-384-5366 to schedule an appointment.

    For additional information about the exhibit’s visit to Concord University contact Nancy Ellison at nellison@concord.edu or 304-384-6086.