Robert Carlyle Byrd

Byrd, Robert Carlyle, 1917–2010, U.S. senator from West Virginia (1959–2010), b. North Wilkesboro, N.C., as Cornelius Calvin Sale, Jr. A Democrat, he served (1947–52) in the West Virginia legislature and (1953–59) in the U.S. House of Representatives before entering the Senate. In 1971 he defeated Senator Edward Kennedy for the position of Senate majority whip and was later Senate majority leader (1977–81, 1987–88) and Senate minority leader (1981–87). He also chaired the Senate appropriations committee (1989–95, 2001–3, 2007–9). Byrd, who served longer in the U.S. Senate and Congress than any other person, was noted for his oratory and his skill in parliamentary maneuvering. He wrote several books, including a history of the Senate (1989, based on his addresses) and Losing America (2004).

See his autobiography (2005).