Blog Archives

Celebrating Senator Byrd's Appropriations for West Virginia

1/19/2016

As news of the Byrd Center’s new mission and name makes its way across the Mountain State and beyond, Senator Byrd’s legacy in West Virginia is being re-energized as people anticipate the arrival of our traveling exhibit later this spring. In an interview with Martinsburg, West Virginia radio station WEPM this past Monday, Byrd Center Director Ray Smock spoke of Senator Byrd’s role as a master of the appropriations process and his work to steer federal funds to essential projects in West Virginia.

The records of this immense and far-reaching work reside in the Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers Collection in the Byrd Center Archives. Occupying almost 900 boxes, nearly a third of the overall collection, the West Virginia Projects Series spans four decades of Senator Byrd’s work on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Though the Senator served on the committee from 1959 until his death in 2010, the amount of funds secured for West Virginia projects increased exponentially in the last two decades of his career when he was alternatively chairman and ranking member of the committee. As a result of this work, Senator Byrd successfully obtained over $10 billion for West Virginia, supporting countless infrastructure, education, tourism, and industrial projects.

The Senate Appropriations Committee in 1993-1994 with Chairman Robert C. Byrd in the center.

The Byrd Center, a product of this remarkable record, has devoted a great deal of research to studying how Senator Byrd was so successful in securing billions in federal funds for West Virginia and the impact these projects had on the state. As we continue to find new reports and lists of projects, we have certainly showed that Senator Byrd made good on his stated goal of becoming West Virginia’s “Billion Dollar Industry.” His work to support West Virginia’s infrastructure, tourism industry, its historic landmarks, and many other projects show the dramatic impact Senator Byrd had on the state.

In the coming months as our traveling exhibit: “Senator Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian” begins its two-year journey across West Virginia, we invite you to discover the legacy of Senator Byrd’s life and career in our state and our nation.

Mission to reflect new name and logo as Byrd Centennial approaches

1/14/2016

Shepherdstown, W.Va. (Jan. 13, 2016) – Walter J. “Joe” Stewart, chairman of the board of directors of the Congressional Education Foundation, Inc. which operates the Robert C. Byrd Center on the campus of Shepherd University, announced a new logo and name – Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education – that more aptly captures the expanded mission of the private, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization.

A New Name for the Byrd Center

1/6/2016

This week we officially launch the new name for our Center as the first act in a two year mission to commemorate the legacy of Senator Robert C. Byrd, which will culminate in November 2017, the 100th anniversary of Senator Byrd’s birth. This new name reflects a sharpening of our mission and a recognition of what we have accomplished since the Center opened in 2002.

Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian – A Major Traveling Exhibit

1/6/2016

By Ray Smock
The Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education is pleased to announce that a major traveling exhibit on the life and career of Senator Byrd will premiere at Shepherd University in April, 2016, before heading out to venues across West Virginia and the nation’s capital during 2016 and 2017. This is the first initiative in our two-year plan of events, conferences, and publications, leading up to the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of Senator Byrd’s birth in November 2017.
The exhibit shares the story of the longest serving United States Senator: his early life and entrance into politics; his devotion to family and to West Virginia and her people; his public service and rise to leadership positions in the U.S. Senate; and the Senator’s role as defender of the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, the exhibit highlights Senator Byrd’s role as a legislator who benefited the people of West Virginia and the nation. The exhibit features documents and photographs from the extensive Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers Collection, housed in the archives of the Byrd Center.
The exhibit is comprised of four free-standing fixtures. An introductory fixture displays information about the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education. The second (main) fixture presents a narrative view of Senator Byrd’s life and career, with three main sections: “From Coalfields to Congress,” “Party Leader and Statesman,” and “West Virginia’s Billion Dollar Industry.” The third fixture highlights Senator Byrd’s faith, his skill as an Appalachian fiddler, his historical scholarship, and his defense of the U.S. Constitution. A fourth fixture includes the many projects in West Virginia for which Senator Byrd obtained appropriations. The exhibit is designed to be versatile so that it can be displayed in a number of layouts and spaces.
For more information about the exhibit and its schedule please contact Dr. Jay Wyatt at: [email protected]

Celebrating Senator Byrd's Appropriations for West Virginia

Mission to reflect new name and logo as Byrd Centennial approaches

A New Name for the Byrd Center

Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian – A Major Traveling Exhibit

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