Harry F. Byrd (PJW)

Harry Flood Byrd (June 10, 1887 - November 19, 1965) was the 35th President of the United States, from 1961-1965. The head of a widespread Democrat political machine in Virginia, Byrd took to highest level of national politics in response to the widespread racial and economic turmoil of John Wayne's second term. Originally believed to be running as a "favorite son" in the election, Byrd shocked the country by campaigning across the country, and then by defeating Nelson Rockefeller in the 1960 Presidential Election.

As president, Byrd put "America first" and began a path of American isolationism. He withdrew advisers and soldiers from Cuba and Vietnam, as well as making downsizes on the overgrown military. While this made pulling out of the Recession of '58 much easier, the Soviets took advantage of Byrd's isolationism to install a communist dictatorship in Portugal and establish influence in previously American-allied parts of the world.

Domestically, race relations continued to plague the nation. In addition to walling black sections of cities, Byrd also encouraged the establishment of separate villages for blacks to live in. These "Byrdtowns" were derided by many as concentration camps, and led to a widespread diaspora of African-Americans, mainly to the Soviet Union. In response to these actions, the northern liberals and southern conservatives of the Democrat party were unable to unite behind Byrd in the 1964 election, resulting in an independent campaign by Lyndon B. Johnson and Byrd's former vice president, John F. Kennedy.

Choosing Maryland Senator Daniel Brewster as his running mate in the 1964, the split resulted in the election going to Congress; a constitutional crisis was caused when neither the House nor Senate could elect a candidate, resulting in Secretary of State James William Fulbright becoming Acting President. Byrd's health issues would prevent him seeing the final results of the election; he died of issues relating to his brain cancer on November 19, a few days before a compromise was reached and Richard Nixon was elected president.