James F. Byrnes

James Francis Byrnes (May 2, 1879 – April 9, 1972) was a confidante of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and at one point was suggested as his running mate for Vice President.

Related Topics:
May 2 - 1879 - April 9 - 1972 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Vice President

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He served in the House of Representatives from 1911 to 1931, and in the United States Senate from 1931 to 1941. Byrnes also served briefly as a Justice of the Supreme Court, a role which bored him at a time when the country was about to go to war. He only served in that position for a year and a half from 1941 to 1942.

Related Topics:
House of Representatives - United States Senate - Supreme Court

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Byrnes left the Supreme Court to head the New Deal's Economic Stablization Office upon the request of President Roosevelt. After Roosevelt's death, he was appointed as Secretary of State in 1945 by Harry Truman. In 1946, Byrnes was named TIME magazine's Person of the Year. After a falling out between Byrnes and President Truman, Byrnes left his post in 1947.

Related Topics:
New Deal - Economic Stablization Office - Secretary of State - Harry Truman - TIME - Person of the Year

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Opposed to desegregation (the issue had lost him his chance to run as Vice President), Byrnes became governor of South Carolina, serving from 1951 to 1955, and eventually switched allegiances to the Republican Party. He secretly advised Richard Nixon on how to woo old-time Southern Democrats to the Republican Party.

Related Topics:
South Carolina - Republican Party - Richard Nixon

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Today, a building housing international programs is named for Byrnes at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.

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