Bayh, << by, >> Birch Evans, Jr. (1928-2019), was a United States senator representing Indiana from 1963 to 1981. Bayh, a liberal Democrat, won national attention during the late 1960’s for his opposition to the nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War (1957-1975). Bayh was a candidate for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination. His work on the Senate Judiciary Committee played a key role in the adoption of the 25th and 26th amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The 25th Amendment deals with presidential and vice presidential succession. The 26th Amendment sets the voting age at 18 for all elections.
Bayh was born on Jan. 22, 1928, in Terre Haute, Indiana. He graduated from Purdue University in 1951 and earned a law degree from Indiana University in 1960. He worked as a farmer until 1954, when he won election to the Indiana House of Representatives. He served until 1962 and was speaker of the House in 1959 and 1960. Bayh was first elected to the United States Senate in 1962. He scored an upset victory over Homer E. Capehart, a conservative Republican who had served in the Senate for 18 years. Bayh’s son Evan served as governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997. From 1999 to 2011, Evan served as a U.S. senator from Indiana. Birch Bayh died on March 14, 2019.
