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John W. Byrnes

American politician

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 by	LaVern Dilweg
Succeeded by	Harold Vernon Froehlich
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 2nd district
In office 1941–1945
Preceded by	Michael F. Kresky Jr.
Succeeded by	Harold A. Lytie
Personal details
Born	John William Byrnes (1913-06-12)June 12, 1913 Green Bay, Wisconsin
Died	January 12, 1985(1985-01-12) (aged 71) Marshfield, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Barbara Preston Byrnes
Children	6 (3 sons, 3 daughters)
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA, LLB)
Occupation	Attorney

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]

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 WisconsininMadison 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 AirportinMosinee^[18] and died several days later in Marshfield on January 12, 1985.^[3][19] He was buried in Green Bay at Allouez Catholic Cemetery.

• United States Congress. "John W. Byrnes (id: B001216)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Byrnes at Politicalgraveyard.com
• John W. ByrnesatFind a Grave