| Life fact | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Harry Flood Byrd Jr. |
| Born | December 20, 1914, in Winchester, Virginia |
| Parents | Harry Flood Byrd and Anne Douglas (Beverley) Byrd |
| Spouse | Gretchen Bigelow Thompson |
| Children | Harry Flood III, Thomas Thomson, and Beverley Bigelow Byrd |
| Primary residence | Winchester, Virginia |
| Principal roles | Newspaper publisher, orchardist, and Virginia state senator |
| Military service | Lieutenant commander, United States Naval Reserve, during World War II |
| Religious affiliation | Episcopalian |
Genealogy of Harry Flood Byrd Jr.
This genealogical account was constructed from the family information contained in the biography below. No relationships or life facts have been added from outside sources.
Harry Flood Byrd Jr. was born December 20, 1914, in Winchester, Virginia. He was the eldest child of Harry Flood Byrd and Anne Douglas Beverley Byrd, and a grandson of Richard Evelyn Byrd and Eleanor Bolling Flood Byrd. The account identifies the explorer and retired naval officer Richard Evelyn Byrd as his uncle.
On August 9, 1941, Harry Flood Byrd Jr. married Gretchen Bigelow Thompson at Winchester. She was a daughter of Paul Jones Thompson and Gretchen Bigelow Thompson. They had three children: Harry Flood Byrd III, born July 16, 1942; Thomas Thomson Byrd, born March 5, 1946; and Beverley Bigelow Byrd, born April 5, 1949. The family resided on Tennyson Avenue in Winchester.
Family outline
- Harry Flood Byrd Jr.
- Father: Harry Flood Byrd
- Mother: Anne Douglas (Beverley) Byrd
- Wife: Gretchen Bigelow Thompson
- Father: Paul Jones Thompson
- Mother: Gretchen (Bigelow) Thompson
- Children:
- Harry Flood Byrd III
- Thomas Thomson Byrd
- Beverley Bigelow Byrd
Source
This biography appeared in History of the Shenandoah Valley: Family and Personal Records, Volume III (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1952), page 25.
Verbatim biography
The following is a faithful transcription of the original biography. OCR errors have been corrected against the printed page images, but the original wording, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and factual claims have not been rewritten.
HARRY FLOOD BYRD, JR.—Member of that Virginia family whose name has become perhaps the best known to the present generation, Harry Flood Byrd, Jr., has distinguished himself as a newspaper publisher, as orchardist, and as a member of the Senate of the state of Virginia. Mr. Byrd makes his home in Winchester, and is identified with the “Evening Star” of that city, and with the Harrisonburg “Daily News-Record”.
He is a son of Harry Flood and Anne Douglas (Beverley) Byrd, and a grandson of Richard Evelyn and Eleanor Bolling (Flood) Byrd. An uncle, also named Richard Evelyn Byrd, is a retired naval officer, nationally famous as an explorer and aviator, and for his expeditions to both poles. The elder Harry Flood Byrd is United States Senator from Virginia, and has held his seat since 1933. He is a former governor of the state of Virginia, and was endorsed by the state for the presidency of the United States in 1932. Senator Byrd, like his son, has been largely interested in apple and peach culture, and in newspaper publishing, his name having been long associated with the two newspapers previously mentioned. He married Anne Douglas Beverley of Winchester on October 7, 1913, and Harry Flood, Jr., their eldest child, was born at Winchester, December 20, 1914.
On completing his preliminary education locally, Harry Flood Byrd, Jr., entered Virginia Military Institute, after which he completed courses at the University of Virginia. Since his graduation he has been editor of the Winchester “Evening Star” and publisher of the Harrisonburg “Daily News-Record”. He is in addition an orchardist, specializing in the production of apples, and is secretary of the firm of H. F. Byrd, Inc. Mr. Byrd is also a director of the Shenandoah Valley National Bank and of The Associated Press.
Recently elected a member of the Virginia Senate, Mr. Byrd has proved that he possesses an equal aptitude for public life, and has conscientiously served his constituents.
Mr. Byrd had an excellent record of service during World War II. In that conflict, he held the rank of lieutenant commander, United States Naval Reserve, and has to his credit three campaigns in the Pacific.
He is a member and past president of the Rotary Club, and is fraternally affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs also to Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalism fraternity. In his religious faith, Mr. Byrd is an Episcopalian.
At Winchester, Virginia, August 9, 1941, Harry Flood Byrd, Jr., married Gretchen Bigelow Thompson, daughter of Paul Jones and Gretchen (Bigelow) Thompson. Mr. and Mrs. Byrd are the parents of three children: 1. Harry Flood, III, born July 16, 1942. 2. Thomas Thomson, born March 5, 1946. 3. Beverley Bigelow, born April 5, 1949. The family resides on Tennyson Avenue in Winchester.