Robert Byrd

Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was a Senator of the state of West Virginia from 1959 until his death in 2010. He is the longest-serving U.S. senator in history and was the longest-serving member in the history of the whole United States Congress until his record was beaten by Representative John Dingell of Michigan. Byrd is the only West Virginian to have served in both chambers of the state legislature and in both chambers of Congress.

He was dean of the United States Senate from 2003 to 2010. He was president pro tempore four times. He was elected to the Senate in 1958. He served as majority leader from 1977 to 1981 and again from 1987 to 1989. He was also minority leader from 1981 to 1987. He was a member of the KKK.

Early life
Byrd was born on November 20, 1917 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. On May 29, 1937, Byrd married Erma Ora James (June 12, 1917 – March 25, 2006) who was born to a coal mining family in Floyd County, Virginia. Her family moved to Raleigh County, West Virginia, where she met Byrd when they attended the same high school.

Robert Byrd had two daughters (Mona Byrd Fatemi and Marjorie Byrd Moore), six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Political career
Byrd was fourth person in the state (as President pro tempore of the Senate, usually longest serving Senator from majority party) from January 1989 to January 1995, from January 3, 2001 to January 20, 2001 and again from June 2001 to January 2003 and January 2007 until his death in 2010.

After Republicans retook control of the Senate, he became the honorary President "pro tempore emeritus" In 2007, Byrd became President Pro Tempore of the Senate again. Before he was elected to the Senate he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953 until 1959 (he is dean of all Congress).

He was a vocal opponent of President George W. Bush's war in Iraq. In January 2006 he was one of the only four (alongside Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Ken Salazar of Colorado) democratic Senators, who voted for Samuel Alito.

Death
On June 27, 2010, it was reported that Byrd had been admitted to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax County, Virginia, earlier that weekend; while he was first admitted for suspected heat exhaustion, "more serious issues" emerged and he was said to be "seriously ill". He died at approximately  EDT the next day at age 92 from natural causes. At the time of his death in office, he was the last living U.S. senator who assumed office in the 1950s.

References

Category:1917 births
Category:2010 deaths
Category:American Baptists
Category:Lawyers from North Carolina
Category:Deans of the United States Senate
Category:Minority leaders of the United States Senate
Category:Majority leaders of the United States Senate
Category:Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate
Category:1976 United States presidential candidates
Category:United States representatives from West Virginia
Category:United States senators from West Virginia
Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians
Category:20th-century American politicians
Category:21st-century American politicians
Category:Deaths from exhaustion