Robert C. Byrd

Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia, and a member and former Senate Leader of the Democratic Party. Byrd was a senator from January 3, 1959, until his death, and was the longest-serving senator, as well as the longest-serving member in congressional history. He was the Dean of the Senate from 2003 to 2010. He was also the oldest member of the current Congress at the time of his death (Strom Thurmond was the oldest to serve in Congressional history), and was the first person to serve uninterrupted for half a century as a senator. Byrd was President pro tempore of the United States Senate from 2007 to 2010, a position that put him third in the line of presidential succession, behind Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He also held this post previously from 1989 to 1995, briefly in January 2001, and from June 2001 to January 2003. Byrd held a wide variety of both liberal and conservative political views. He also held many leadership positions: Senate Conference Secretary, Majority Whip, Minority Leader and twice Majority Leader.