Evening star., 1923-02-11
Mrs. Byrnes Is Third
Southerner to Head
+ Congressional Club
Charming Hostess Is Well
Fitted to Assume Social
| Duties of Her New Posi-
ton.

Mrs. James Francis Byrnes, the re-
Gently chosen executive of the Con-
gressioual Club. is the third daughter
of Dixie to hold the supreme post of
honor in the large and influential or
ganization composed exclusively of
tho woman folks of the national iegis-
lators. Mrs. Isaac T. Gregg Of Texas
was the second president of the Con-
gressional Club, but received the
honor in the constitutional sense of
being first vice president. and there
fore the logical successor of Mrs
James Perkins of New York, who
was also the founder, and who died
during her second term OF office.
Mrs. Duncan L. Fletcher. wife or
the senator from Florida, was after
ward selected as president, and now
Mrs. ByrneS of South Carolina COM
pletes the list, which represents al
tsrnateIy, both as to the Senate aud
House. almost every recognized dty;-
sion of the country in the old geo
graphical lines of the New England
INC middle states. the west. me south
and the three g" four others Tie
Pacific coasj has yet 20 he selected,
but The club is young a. suun orgallt-
zatIcnS 90. and all sections ill even
tuaily receive tilc houo|
Election Surprise.
AIRS. ByrneS' election. and through a
most substantial ma ajOrity of thirty
one votes. came as = great surprise,
IN that. as rule. when Il republican
administration is in poWr!. in Wash
ingtou the club. il order tn be close
TO the center OF things and to WELD it's
utmost influence, always elected re-
pubilcau executive. Mrs Fletcher
was chosen during th. first year of
raj n h.-f
the presidents OF the Congressional
Club had always been chosen from
repub!j"an households. except IN the
aGcldeLtai cas-" oi Mrs. Gregg.
Mrs. ByrntS has lived in Washing
on for twelve Teara has been mem
per or The organization since her
nrst month residence and has alway >
taken an intelligent direction III it's
''nairS. She was for Il term treasurer
Of the society. That she has been a
constructive wuri;r" and made for
the fulfillment Of the high purpose
OF these ladies rf legislative rami-
lies in banding together Was proven
:onIuSively hy her election. As the
Senat" and House. as AT present com
posed. are overwhelmingly republican,
80 too are th& members Of the Con-
grcsSIonal Club. anu Yet these voters
nave honoFed Il woman who is of the
old South, Il democrat of the staunch-
est faith.
Mrs. Byrncs, who now occupies one
~ the most important posts In Off
cial Washington. is a native of Aiken.
her present home and was before her
marriage, Miss Naude Perkins Bush.
she was educated in local schools and
men took degree at q. well known
seat or learning in South Carolina a,
converse College, at Spartanburg.
Living in SO charming 4 place as
Aiken. the popular winter resort
Doth Mr.. and Mrs. Byrnes are fond
OF life in the open and Of their gar
den and home.
Live In Cleveland Park.
In Washington they reside III Cleve-
land Park. where they can maintain
i semblance OF the loyelinesS of Caro-
lima. Both here and in Aiken. she is
IN active member Of the Episcopal
Church.
Mrs. Byrnes' term uf office does not
begin until afte" the new Congress
IS sitting, or until after March 4th.
But so many of the members OF the
present body and of the next will con
tinue in Washington during the school
,erm. that the clubhouse Will be III
active service during these next four
months, even though there is. no ex
ira session called. There are always
informal affairs. and when the warm
weather breaks picnics and frolics
III the open and in these amenities $
the new president will be at her best
and in her most familiar role.
The greSSional Club is now ac-
'epted as one of the official mediums
of social intercourse and its officers
and committees are listed in the Con-
sressional directory.