The Center’s archive holds thousands of photographs documenting Senator Byrd’s political career and family life. We have digitized a small fraction of these for a sampling of his long and distinguished career.
Click on a thumbnail to view images.
Near the end of his record-setting career as the longest serving Senator in American history, a reporter asked Senator Byrd how many presidents he had served under. The Senator bristled and replied that he had not served under any president, but that he had served with eleven of them. He never lost an opportunity to teach the constitutional lesson that Congress was a separate and co-equal branch of government, not one subservient to any president.
11 Photos
With a public service career spanning more than 50 years, Senator Byrd frequently interacted with other workers in the public sector, from local constituencies to the federal level.
17 Photos
Over Senator Byrd's long career, he had the opportunity to meet with many notable figures in American culture, from athletes and entertainers to civil rights activists. This is a sampling of some of those moments.
23 Photos
Senator Byrd made several trips abroad where he met with important foreign leaders and political figures. As part of his duties in leadership positions in the U.S. Senate, Senator Byrd also welcomed numerous visiting dignitaries to the Capitol.
15 Photos
During Senator Byrd's long tenure of public service, he always remembered his constituents, and regularly visited with them in their hometown or in his Washington, DC office.
10 Photos