Harry F. Byrd, Painting on Canvas, 1947

Harry Flood Byrd (1887–1966) served as state senator from 1915 to 1926, governor from 1926 to 1930, and as a United States Senator from 1933 to 1965. Byrd hailed from Winchester, Virginia, and came from a prominent and politically connected family. In fact, he took over the chairmanship of the Democratic Party from his uncle in 1923. Byrd owned apple orchards and three newspapers, and as state senator and governor he advocated for business interests above all other matters. He urged the General Assembly to pass an anti-lynching law, for example, because he believed it would make the state more attractive to businesses. He supported the creation of the Shenandoah National Park and John D. Rockefeller’s bankrolling the creation of Colonial Williamsburg, because they boosted tourism and enhanced Virginia's national reputaion.

At the same time, Byrd's political organization, which was entrenched in Virginia from the 1920s to the 1960s, maintained a conservative outlook in many ways. He did not support women's voting rights. He implemented a “pay as you go” policy to use tax money instead of public bonds to pay for state roads and other infrastructure. This kept taxes low and reduced the amount of money spent on public projects. While this may have been attractive to businesses, Virginia's road construction, public education, and public health programs remained below national standards. 

As a U.S. Senator, Harry F. Byrd was a staunch opponent of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal projects, and voted against funding public works programs, education, and public housing programs. Byrd voted against a minimum-wage increase and was one of only six senators (including Virginia’s Carter Glass) to vote against the Social Security Act. Not surprisingly, Byrd voted for legislation that limited the power of unions and he was a strong advocate for states’ rights. He also voted against the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine, although he was not against cooperating with other countries. Perhaps somewhat ironically, he supported government conservation and National Park efforts because of his interest in the outdoors. 

Harry F. Byrd is perhaps best known nationally for his plan to keep schools segregated in the wake of the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown v Board of Education decision. The author of the term “Massive Resistance,” Byrd encouraged local Virginia politicians to obstruct desegregation. He helped to write the “Southern Manifesto,” in which nineteen U.S. Senators and seventy-seven Congressmen accused the Supreme Court of overstepping its authority by interfering with state matters. He also encouraged the closure of Virginia schools and continued to support obstructionist methods when the courts ordered public schools to reopen. Byrd spent his remaining years in office fighting civil rights legislation and social programs proposed by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. In November 1965, Byrd retired from the U.S. Senate and eleven months later he died from complications of a brain tumor.

Richmond artist John Slavin painted this portrait of Harry Byrd in 1947, when he was serving in the U.S. Senate. It was displayed in the Virginia State Capitol as his gubernatorial portrait.

Citation: John D. Slavin, Harry Flood Byrd Portrait, 1947, State Art Collection, Library of Virginia. 

Learn more about Harry F. Byrd in his Dictionary of Virginia Biography entry.

VS.11, USII.3, USII.5, USII.9, VUS.10

Preview Activity

Artistic Exploration: Look at the portrait of Byrd, the colors the artist used, and the background. Briefly describe Byrd's facial expressions, posture, and setting. From the portrait, what can you conclude about Byrd the man and Byrd the politician?

Post Activities

Dig Deeper: Compare the portrait to this photograph of Byrd: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/238hpr-788481c27962556/ 
How does Byrd as depicted in this photograph differ from the portrait painted of him? Why do you think these two images are so different? What might Byrd have been trying to do in the photograph?

Political Plans: Imagine that you are a member of the Republican Party in Virginia in the 1950s, and that you do not support massive resistance. How might you challenge Byrd and the local Byrd machine? What arguments would you make, and why?