Longtime U.S. Senator Byrd Dies
June 28, 2010 11:35 AM | General
June 28, 2010
Sen. Robert C. Byrd, pictured here during the dedication of new Mountaineer Field on Sept. 6, 1980, died early Monday morning at age 92.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Sen. Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving member of Congress, died early Monday at age 92, according to the senator’s office.
Byrd was a nine-term Democrat who first entered Congress in 1953. His political career began in 1946 when he successfully ran for a seat in the state House of Delegates. Six years later, he won a seat in the House of Representatives and then was elected to his first Senate term in 1958. He won his ninth term in 2006, three weeks before his 89th birthday.
Byrd, pictured here at the dedication of new Mountaineer Field in 1980, was a 50-year member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, chairing it for 10 years. He was also Senate Majority Leader.
Byrd was born in North Wilkesboro, N.C., on November 20, 1917 in North Wilkesboro, N.C. and grew up in Stotesbury, W.Va., in Raleigh County.
Comments on the passing of an iconic West Virginian:
President James C. Clements:
“West Virginia has lost a great friend and champion in Sen. Robert C. Byrd. He embodied what we hold so dear in the Mountain State: loyalty, commitment, hard work, honesty and faith. I respect so much all that he has done for West Virginia, West Virginia University and the entire nation. You don’t need to look far to see his lasting legacy – in energy research, transportation improvements, health care, education, homeland security, and more. We will miss his remarkable leadership – but long remember the principles by which he lived. His family, staff and colleagues are in our prayers.”
Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong:
“WVU's athletic department lost a great fan today. As with all West Virginians, we are saddened by the death of Robert C. Byrd. His entire life was devoted to the betterment of the people in our state, and he was a true Mountaineer.”
