After two and a half years of arranging, processing, and database entry, the Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers Collection is now open to researchers by appointment! This significant milestone has produced a 522-page finding aid (or index) which available in hard-copy format in the Byrd Center’s Reading Room, and also online as a searchable PDF.  The entire collection [...]

The Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies will host a debate on the issue of the National Popular Vote for President and Vice President on Monday, Dec. 3, at 7 PM in the Center’s auditorium at 213 N. King Street on the campus of Shepherd University. The debate will feature Delegate John Doyle of [...]

Dr. David Corbin spoke at the Byrd Center on October 17, about his book The Last Great Senator: Robert C. Byrd’s Encounters with Eleven U.S. Presidents. Corbin, a long-time Senate staffer, who worked for Senator Byrd as well as Senate leaders George Mitchell and Tom Daschle, believes that Senator Byrd played a central role in [...]

John Splaine’s fascinating look at the history of Presidential Debates, which he presented recently at the Byrd Center, is scheduled to air on American History TV on C-SPAN3 on Sunday October 21st at 8:30 and 11:30 pm ET. It will also air on Saturday October 27th at 4:30 pm ET. For those who don’t have [...]

Though the THOMAS.gov information system has served as a valuable legislative resource since 1995, it will soon be replaced by Congress.gov.  Developed by the Library of Congress, the Government Printing Office, and both chambers of the U.S. Congress, the new Congress.gov website has a more user-friendly interface while retaining the factual information about legislative activities [...]

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) visited the Byrd Center on September 18, 2012, to present director Ray Smock with a framed copy of his remarks on the floor of the Senate. Senator Manchin, praised the memory of the late Senator Byrd and his love of the U. S. Constitution. Senator Byrd launched the Byrd Center’s annual [...]

On Monday(7/16), the Byrd CLS hosted the CHARM group (Capitol Hill Archivists and Record Managers), giving them a tour and presentation about the history of the Center and the large accession of Senator Byrd’s papers we received in 2010.  The CHARM group was a diverse group of professionals, including archival interns, senators’ staff, the Senate [...]

Each year, the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC) award a scholarship to attend the Congressional Papers Roundtable at the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). This year’s award recipient is Marc Levitt, the Byrd Center’s archivist. At the 2012 SAA meeting, Marc will particularly focus on the panels involving the [...]

News Release: The Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Ron Rash Volume IV, is now for sale at the Shepherd University Book Store (see “trade books”).  This special volume of the collection is a collection of Appalachian stories, essays, poetry, and photographic art, which focuses both on the region and the literary art of poet and novelist [...]

The May 8, 2012 West Virginia primary is almost here. In 1976, Senator Byrd won the Mountain State Democratic Presidential primary as a favorite son candidate, defeating Alabama Governor George Wallace with 89 percent of the vote.  Byrd gained 31 convention delegates, but released them before the convention because Jimmy Carter had garnered enough delegates [...]