Robert C. Byrd, United States Senator from West Virginia since 1959, is currently chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He also is Senate president pro-tempore, placing him fourth in succession of the presidency, and a member of the Armed Services and Rules and Administration committees. He has served as W.Va. state delegate, state senator, U.S. representative, U.S. senator, majority whip, six years as senate minority leader and six years as majority leader. Sen. Byrd is currently an ex officio member of the Select Committee on Intelligence and chairman of the Democratic Steering Committee, Democratic Policy Committee and Senate Democratic Conference. Sen. Byrd received a juris doctorate cum laude from American University in 1963, and he has held the greatest number of leadership positions in the history of the Senate. He also is a member of the Country Music Association and the Masons.
Source:
Commencement Program: May 17, 1992
Photo credit: Robert C. Byrd. (2010). In Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale.
PLM 7/6/18