Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education
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Testing the “King of Pork’s” Humor (Student Edition)

9/24/2013

 
Note: This post was previously listed under our "News from the Grey Box" blog series 
By Sarah Brennan
​

The intent behind political cartoons frequently is to challenge readers and to help them see political events and social issues from a different perspective. But, the relationship between cartoonists and the politicians they are satirizing is not always as adversarial as readers might assume. This cartoon, drawn in 1993 by Washington Business Journal cartoonist Bill Lemmer, offers a somewhat kinder picture of Washington politics.
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A Constitution Day Address on the Eve of a Potential Government Shut-Down

9/18/2013

 
By Ray Smock

Senator Robert C. Byrd launched the Byrd Center’s annual Constitution Day Address nine years ago. The lecture series is named in honor of the late Tom E. Moses, a decorated veteran of World War II and a lifelong advocate of civil rights and human rights. In his inaugural speech in this series, Senator Byrd said, “Not a day has passed in the history of this great republic in which the Constitution has not been important.” This thought was on my mind as I drafted this year’s Constitution Day address.

I could not help but be drawn to current events which reflect a growing constitutional crisis—one that may come to pass within weeks of Constitution Day, where Congress may actually shut down the government because a faction in the House is so opposed to the Affordable Healthcare Act and equally opposed to increasing the debt limit of the United States.

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Senator Leahy Visits the Byrd Center

9/17/2013

 
Note: This post was previously listed under our "News from the Grey Box" blog series 
​

Recently Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and his senior staff paid a visit to the Byrd CLS to learn more about how Congressional collections are managed and the types of programs that centers like ours conduct for the study of Congress.

Our Executive Director Ray Smock gave opening remarks about how the CLS was established and explained our relationship with similar institutions through the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC). Marc Levitt, the Director of Archives, followed up with a slide show regarding the   processing of Senator Byrd’s collection that he has supervised over the past three years.
Senator Leahy and his staff then took a tour  of the Byrd Center, where they saw an exhibit of artifacts from Byrd’s collection, the archival stacks (complete with processed textual documents), and the rest of the facilities of the CLS.

The Byrd CLS is always happy to host members of Congress and their staffs to explore the many ways in which congressional archives can be used to foster a better understanding of how the legislative branch of government works.  We appreciate the Senator taking time out of his schedule to learn more about how centers like ours operate.
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(L to R) Marc Levitt, Mrs. Leahy, Senator Leahy, Ray Smock, Jay Wyatt, and Jody Brumage
    Welcome to the Byrd Center Blog! We share content here including research from our archival collections, articles from our director, and information on upcoming events. 

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Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876 - 5702

Our Mission:

The Byrd Center advances representative democracy by promoting a better understanding of the United States Congress and the Constitution through programs and research that engage citizens.
© 2021 Robert C. Byrd Center for
​Congressional History and Education
  • Home
  • About
    • Latest News
    • Statement on Systemic Racism
    • Leadership
    • Our Partners
    • Parking and Directions
  • Education
    • People Powered 2023 Program
    • Educational Resources
    • Teacher Institute
    • Internship Program
  • Research
    • Congressional Collections >
      • Robert C. Byrd Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Sr. Congressional Papers
      • Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Congressional Papers
      • Scot Falkner CAO Papers
    • Blog
    • Digital Collections
    • Oral History Project
    • Plan a Visit to the Archives
    • Collecting Policy
  • Events
    • Voices of the Community series
    • Summer Fundraiser 2023
    • Forum on Pollution
    • Formidable - author event
    • Voices of the Community
    • Constitution Day
    • Past Events
  • Support Us
    • Friends of the Byrd Center
    • Name a Seat
    • Annual Report
  • Reservations
  • Login