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2014 SESSION
WHEREAS, the Honorable Harry F. Byrd, Jr., a respected statesman and great Virginian who dedicated the majority of his life to service to the Commonwealth and made history as an independent in the United States Senate, died on July 30, 2013; and
WHEREAS, a native of Winchester, Harry Byrd went on to attend Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, joining many of the other young men of his generation in service to his country, Harry Byrd was commissioned in the United States Navy Reserve on December 6, 1941, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor; and
WHEREAS, during his honorable military service, Harry Byrd rose to the rank of lieutenant commander and served as the executive officer of a patrol bombing squadron in the Pacific Theater of the war; and
WHEREAS, Harry Byrd began working at the Winchester Evening Star in 1935, and the newspaper business would become one of the great passions of his life; he rose to the position of editor and remained involved in the paper for much of his life; and
WHEREAS, Harry Byrd also served as publisher of the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record from 1936 to 1941 and from 1946 to 1981; he also served on the newspaper’s board of directors until his death; and
WHEREAS, Harry Byrd served as the vice president of the Associated Press, traveling around the world for high-profile interviews with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco; and
WHEREAS, desiring to be of service to the Commonwealth, Harry Byrd was elected to the Senate of Virginia in 1947, where he served for the next 18 years; he worked to enact important legislation and dedicated himself to the creation of responsible state budgets; and
WHEREAS, in 1965, Harry Byrd was nominated for and won a special election to fill the vacancy in the United States Senate left by his father’s retirement; and
WHEREAS, making history in 1970, Harry Byrd broke from his party and became the first United States Senator to win a majority vote as an independent while facing challenges from both major parties; he was also the Commonwealth’s first independent statewide office holder; and
WHEREAS, after winning a third term in 1976, Harry Byrd became the first senator elected and reelected as an independent; his successes inspired many other officials to similarly hold to their ideals and run as independents; and
WHEREAS, a firm believer in smaller and more efficient government, Harry Byrd championed a balanced federal budget; he also returned thousands of dollars in expense money and declined several pay increases; and
WHEREAS, while only introducing a select number of bills over the course of his career, Harry Byrd was a diligent elected official, casting over 6,000 votes and answering 96 percent of Senate roll calls; and
WHEREAS, Harry Byrd offered his wise and deliberate counsel to several Senate committees, including Finance and Armed Services, until his retirement in 1983; after devoting nearly two-thirds of his life to public service, he left a legacy few could match; and
WHEREAS, widely hailed for his unswerving commitment to the Commonwealth’s and the nation’s fiscal and economic well-being, Senator Byrd is remembered for his integrity and gentlemanly demeanor; he served the Commonwealth and the nation with great dignity and distinction; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife of 48 years, Gretchen, Harry Byrd will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his children, Harry III, Thomas, and Beverley, and their families; numerous other family members and friends; and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an iconic Virginia statesman and a true Southern gentleman, the Honorable Harry F. Byrd, Jr.; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Harry F. Byrd, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.