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John W. Byrnes

John W. Byrnes
circa 1956
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 8th district
In office
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1973
Preceded byLaVern Dilweg
Succeeded byHarold Vernon Froehlich
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 2nd district
In office
1941–1945
Preceded byMichael F. Kresky Jr.
Succeeded byHarold A. Lytie
Personal details
Born
John William Byrnes

(1913-06-12)June 12, 1913
Green Bay, Wisconsin
DiedJanuary 12, 1985(1985-01-12) (aged 71)
Marshfield, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBarbara Preston Byrnes
Children6 (3 sons, 3 daughters)
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (BA, LLB)
OccupationAttorney

John William Byrnes (June 12, 1913 – January 12, 1985) was an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from Wisconsin.

Byrnes was the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 8th congressional district from 1945 to 1973. During this time he was the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee from 1959 to 1965 and was later the ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means from 1963 to 1972.[1]

Life and career

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Byrnes was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the son of Harriet (Schumacher) and Charles W. Byrnes.[2] Byrnes contracted polio as a small child.[3] He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1936, and then attended its law school.[4] After graduation, Byrnes practiced law in Green Bay, and served as deputy commissioner of the state's department of banking from 1938 to 1941. He served in the state senate from 1941 to 1945, representing the 2nd District.[5]

Byrnes was elected in 1944 as a Republican to the 79th Congress from Wisconsin's 8th district. He defeated one-term incumbent LaVern Dilweg, a notable former professional football player with the Green Bay Packers. Byrnes was reelected to the thirteen succeeding Congresses, and served 28 years from January 1945 to January 1973, making him the 8th district's longest serving representative. In 1964, the Wisconsin delegates to the 1964 Republican National Convention were pledged to support Byrnes, but he released the delegates to support the candidates they individually chose.[6] He did not seek a fifteenth term in 1972 to the 93rd Congress. Byrnes voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[7] 1960,[8][9] 1964,[10][11] and 1968,[12][13] as well as the establishment of the Wisconsin Islands Wilderness,[14] the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[15][16][17]

After Congress, stayed in Washington to practice law and continued to reside in Arlington, Virginia. While traveling to Wisconsin for a medical check-up at the Marshfield Clinic, he had a stroke at the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee[18] and died several days later in Marshfield on January 12, 1985.[3][19] He was buried in Green Bay at Allouez Catholic Cemetery.

References

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  1. ^ John W. Byrnes papers, 1938-1972. OCLC 71806163.
  2. ^ Nelson, Charles C.; Madisen, Erik L. (1951). "The Wisconsin Magazine".
  3. ^ a b "Byrnes, ex-member of Congress, dies". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. January 14, 1985. p. 2, part 2.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 - Full view - UWDC - UW-Madison Libraries".
  5. ^ "John Byrnes, Wisconsin Historical Society". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  6. ^ Foran, Christopher. "Our Back Pages: At 1964 political conventions, Wisconsin 'candidates' played a role". jsonline.com. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  7. ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
  8. ^ "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
  9. ^ "HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS".
  10. ^ "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE".
  11. ^ "H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE".
  12. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES".
  13. ^ "TO PASS H. RES. 1100, A RESOLUTION PROVIDING THAT IMMEDIATELY ON THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION, THE BILL (H.R. 2516) PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR INTERFERING WITH ANY PERSON IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS CIVIL RIGHTS, AND MAKING CERTAIN ANTIRIOT LEGISLATION, SHALL, TOGETHER WITH A SENATE AMENDMENT THERETO, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR DISCRIMINATION IN THE SALE OR RENT OF HOUSING, BE TAKEN FROM THE SPEAKER'S TABLE, TO THE END THAT SAID AMENDMENT IS AGREED TO".
  14. ^ Seeks islands wilderness Archived 2022-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Door County Advocate, Volume 107, Number 13, May 7, 1968, page 1
  15. ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.
  16. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
  17. ^ "TO AGREE TO CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1564, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
  18. ^ "Ex-congressman on critical list after stroke". Milwaukee Sentinel. January 9, 1985. p. 13, part 1.[permanent dead link‍]
  19. ^ "Former Rep. Byrnes, 71, dies after stroke". Milwaukee Sentinel. January 14, 1985. p. 9, part 1.[permanent dead link‍]
[edit]
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 2nd district
1941–1945 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district
January 3, 1945–January 3, 1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee
1963–1973 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee
1959–1965 		Succeeded by