Today in Wheeling History: June 28—U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, whose federal appropriations funded major Wheeling projects including the Intermodal Transportation Center, dies at age 92 (2010).
Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.) was born November 20, 1917, in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Orphaned by the 1918 flu pandemic, he was raised in the coal towns of southern West Virginia by his aunt and uncle, Titus and Vlurma Byrd. After graduating as valedictorian of Mark Twain High School in Stotesbury in 1934, he worked a series of modest jobs before entering politics, winning election to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1946 and the state Senate in 1950. Byrd served in the U.S. House from 1953 to 1959 and then in the U.S. Senate from 1959 until his death, becoming the longest‑serving member of Congress.
Through his seniority on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Byrd directed substantial federal investment to West Virginia, including several major projects in Wheeling. Three city institutions bear his name: the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center, the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling University, and the Robert C. Byrd Addition to the Lodge at Oglebay Park. These facilities reflect Byrd’s influence on Wheeling’s transportation, educational, technological, and tourism infrastructure. Byrd died June 28, 2010, in Fairfax County, Virginia, and is buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.
To learn more: Wheeling Heritage – Intermodal Center (https://tinyurl.com/2fchxpjn), Weelunk – “Intermodal Center May Finally Blossom Thanks To Nearby Development” (https://tinyurl.com/4tz4jtvj), e‑WV – “Robert C. Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/3xsejc2p), Find a Grave – “Robert Carlyle Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/3euuz9p4), Wikipedia – “Robert Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/4rkuvbwd), Wikipedia – “List of places named after Robert Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/mtxh7y68)
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons, Wheeling Heritage, Pinterest
Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.) was born November 20, 1917, in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Orphaned by the 1918 flu pandemic, he was raised in the coal towns of southern West Virginia by his aunt and uncle, Titus and Vlurma Byrd. After graduating as valedictorian of Mark Twain High School in Stotesbury in 1934, he worked a series of modest jobs before entering politics, winning election to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1946 and the state Senate in 1950. Byrd served in the U.S. House from 1953 to 1959 and then in the U.S. Senate from 1959 until his death, becoming the longest‑serving member of Congress.
Through his seniority on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Byrd directed substantial federal investment to West Virginia, including several major projects in Wheeling. Three city institutions bear his name: the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center, the Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling University, and the Robert C. Byrd Addition to the Lodge at Oglebay Park. These facilities reflect Byrd’s influence on Wheeling’s transportation, educational, technological, and tourism infrastructure. Byrd died June 28, 2010, in Fairfax County, Virginia, and is buried at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.
To learn more: Wheeling Heritage – Intermodal Center (https://tinyurl.com/2fchxpjn), Weelunk – “Intermodal Center May Finally Blossom Thanks To Nearby Development” (https://tinyurl.com/4tz4jtvj), e‑WV – “Robert C. Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/3xsejc2p), Find a Grave – “Robert Carlyle Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/3euuz9p4), Wikipedia – “Robert Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/4rkuvbwd), Wikipedia – “List of places named after Robert Byrd” (https://tinyurl.com/mtxh7y68)
Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons, Wheeling Heritage, Pinterest
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