The Robert C. Byrd Traveling Exhibit Tour Culminates in Charleston in Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Senator Byrd’s Birth

​On Thursday, November 16, 2017, just a few days before the 100th anniversary of Senator Byrd’s birth on November 20,  the traveling exhibit Robert C. Byrd: Senator, Statesman, West Virginian opened in the Great Hall of the Culture Center on the Capitol Complex in Charleston. In the shadow of the capitol with its magnificent gilded dome, the place where Senator Byrd began his public career as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1946, people gathered to explore the exhibit and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the “West Virginian of the 20th Century”. 

​Over the past two years, the exhibit has been displayed in over twenty venues and seen by thousands of people as we’ve traveled across West Virginia and beyond, including two visits to Washington DC. Now in Charleston, the traveling exhibit will be seen by hundreds of visitors to the state capitol during the holidays, including school groups who will tour the display over the next two months when visiting the Culture Center.

Erik Fatemi, Sen. Byrd's grandson delivers remarks to visitors in the Great Hall of the Culture Center.

​We were honored to have as our host in Charleston the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, which runs the Culture Center and State Museum. In addition to the West Virginia Humanities Council and our corporate sponsors who have supported the exhibit’s tour over the past two years, the firm of Frost, Brown, Todd Attorneys LLC contributed to opening reception at the Culture Center and was represented by Carte Goodwin, who held Senator Byrd’s seat in Congress briefly before a special election gave the seat to Senator Manchin.
 
Attendees at the opening reception included this year’s class of Leadership West Virginia, a program which invites community and business leaders from across the state to develop and motivate the use of their talents and abilities to inspire others and to foster a new spirit of energy, enthusiasm and vitality. Leadership West Virginia incorporated the exhibit reception into their program on government.

​Our host at the Culture Center, Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith welcomed those in attendance and Byrd Center Director Ray Smock acted as master of ceremonies. The speakers were Gayle Manchin, West Virginia Secretary of Education and the Arts; Senator Joe Manchin who spoke via a video message; Mary Eckerson, staff person for Senator Shelley Moore Capito; and Susan Azevedo, representing Congressman Alex Mooney.  The evening’s program concluded with remarks from Erik Fatemi, Senator Byrd’s grandson and vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Congressional Education Foundation, which operates the Byrd Center.

Transcript of Sen. Manchin's Remarks

Sen. Capito's Remarks

Rep. Mooney's Remarks

​The exhibit will remain on display in the Great Hall of the Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305, until Monday, December 4, when it will be moved to the rotunda of the West Virginia Capitol. Visitors can view the exhibit there until January 13, 2018, when it will return to the Culture Center until the end of January.

View more photographs from the reception below: