Byrd, Harry Flood (1887-1966), a Virginia Democrat, gained fame for his opposition in the United States Senate to government spending. Byrd was sometimes called Mr. Economy. He felt that most government programs should be financed on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, and not through long-term loans. Byrd was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy in 1933. He won the 1934 election and the five succeeding elections through 1964. He served as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and of a committee to investigate waste in federal spending. He resigned his Senate seat in 1965. His son Harry, Jr., was appointed to succeed him and served in the U.S. Senate from 1965 to 1983.
Byrd was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He served in the Virginia state Senate from 1915 to 1925, and as governor from 1926 to 1930.
