Anne Barth, who worked nearly 24 years for Sen. Robert C. Byrd, spends her last day in his offices in Charleston's federal courthouse on Friday.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After working for Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., for nearly 24 years, Anne Barth spent her last day in his nearly vacant offices in Charleston's federal building Friday morning.
"It was such a great learning experience," Barth said. "He would often ask you, 'What did you learn today?' He was a joy to work for."
Long before Byrd died on June 28, his Charleston and Washington offices were packed with a fascinating array of photographs, cartoons, newspaper articles, sculptures, coal miners' helmets and books.
In his Washington offices, Byrd even had framed grade-school report cards and drawings he did as a little boy for his grandmother.
"This office in Charleston was always the museum in the building," said Barth, who served as Byrd's West Virginia state director since 1992. Before that, she held other positions in Byrd's Charleston office.
The new federal building on Virginia Street in Charleston, named after Byrd, opened in 1998. Most federal offices relocated from the old building on Quarrier Street, including federal district and bankruptcy courts. The old building still houses some agencies, including Social Security Administration offices.
"Judge [Kenneth] Hall really pushed for a new federal building," Barth said. "He said the old one was like a Big Bear grocery store."
Barth remembered Byrd coming into his office in the new building one day, leaning back in his chair and asking if he could light up a cigar. Barth said she worried the smoke might set off the building's automatic sprinkler system.
Mark Ferrell, Byrd's press secretary, said he had bittersweet feelings on Friday.
"I have a lot to be thankful for. I had a lot of really good times, a lot of fun working with his staff, working with him, campaigning with him. I learned so much.
"Robert Byrd was a man for all seasons. He did not come into office running on one wedge issue. He had lots of ideas, lots of well-reasoned opinions on issues about West Virginia, America and the world," Ferrell said.
Barth has particularly vivid memories of traveling with Byrd, especially when she was his driver.
"People always wanted to come up and hug him and kiss him," she said. "Visiting the state always lifted his spirits.
"A lot of times, Mrs. [Erma] Byrd would be with us. She was an easy traveler. She wasn't flashy and showy. She was always genuine and warm.
"For lunch, Senator Byrd loved thick-cut baloney on white bread, with a little mustard. He was also a Pepsi guy."
Barth traveled across the state with Byrd during his 1994 re-election campaign.
"One day, we drove from Fairmont down to Welch, a trip that lasted five hours. He recited poetry to me the whole way. He told me he wanted to make sure I stayed awake."
Barth was struck by Byrd's ability to remember everyone's name and deliver speeches without notes.
"The Senate of the Roman Republic," a book published in 1995, collected 14 speeches Byrd delivered to the Senate two years earlier, as part of his successful efforts to stop the line-item veto.
(At the time, Democratic President Bill Clinton hoped to use "line-item vetoes" to strike out any individual words or sentences from bills Congress passed, without having to veto the entire bills.)
"Senator Byrd delivered 14 one-hour speeches without a note," Barth said.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- After working for Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., for nearly 24 years, Anne Barth spent her last day in his nearly vacant offices in Charleston's federal building Friday morning.
"It was such a great learning experience," Barth said. "He would often ask you, 'What did you learn today?' He was a joy to work for."
Long before Byrd died on June 28, his Charleston and Washington offices were packed with a fascinating array of photographs, cartoons, newspaper articles, sculptures, coal miners' helmets and books.
In his Washington offices, Byrd even had framed grade-school report cards and drawings he did as a little boy for his grandmother.
"This office in Charleston was always the museum in the building," said Barth, who served as Byrd's West Virginia state director since 1992. Before that, she held other positions in Byrd's Charleston office.
The new federal building on Virginia Street in Charleston, named after Byrd, opened in 1998. Most federal offices relocated from the old building on Quarrier Street, including federal district and bankruptcy courts. The old building still houses some agencies, including Social Security Administration offices.
"Judge [Kenneth] Hall really pushed for a new federal building," Barth said. "He said the old one was like a Big Bear grocery store."
Barth remembered Byrd coming into his office in the new building one day, leaning back in his chair and asking if he could light up a cigar. Barth said she worried the smoke might set off the building's automatic sprinkler system.
Mark Ferrell, Byrd's press secretary, said he had bittersweet feelings on Friday.
"I have a lot to be thankful for. I had a lot of really good times, a lot of fun working with his staff, working with him, campaigning with him. I learned so much.
"Robert Byrd was a man for all seasons. He did not come into office running on one wedge issue. He had lots of ideas, lots of well-reasoned opinions on issues about West Virginia, America and the world," Ferrell said.
Barth has particularly vivid memories of traveling with Byrd, especially when she was his driver.
"People always wanted to come up and hug him and kiss him," she said. "Visiting the state always lifted his spirits.
"A lot of times, Mrs. [Erma] Byrd would be with us. She was an easy traveler. She wasn't flashy and showy. She was always genuine and warm.
"For lunch, Senator Byrd loved thick-cut baloney on white bread, with a little mustard. He was also a Pepsi guy."
Barth traveled across the state with Byrd during his 1994 re-election campaign.
"One day, we drove from Fairmont down to Welch, a trip that lasted five hours. He recited poetry to me the whole way. He told me he wanted to make sure I stayed awake."
Barth was struck by Byrd's ability to remember everyone's name and deliver speeches without notes.
"The Senate of the Roman Republic," a book published in 1995, collected 14 speeches Byrd delivered to the Senate two years earlier, as part of his successful efforts to stop the line-item veto.
(At the time, Democratic President Bill Clinton hoped to use "line-item vetoes" to strike out any individual words or sentences from bills Congress passed, without having to veto the entire bills.)
"Senator Byrd delivered 14 one-hour speeches without a note," Barth said.
Raymond W. Smock, a former historian for the House of Representatives, is now director of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown. Last Monday and Tuesday, Smock came to Charleston to sort through Byrd's offices and pack up photographs, framed cartoons and papers to take to the Byrd Center.
"We are also getting 1,300 objects from his office in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington," Smock said. "They include photographs, certificates, awards. There was a lifetime of history on those walls."
Ferrell said, "Two entire tractor-trailer truckloads of files and plaques and memorabilia arrived at the Byrd Center in Shepherdstown from Charleston and Washington - but that just barely scratches the surface."
Byrd's files, Smock said, include "hundreds and hundreds of volumes in three-ring binders" of speeches and documents from Senate committee hearings.
Smock also was struck by Byrd's photographic memory.
"He could recite poems from memory. He could name all the kings of England. He never stopped studying. One day, we will do an exhibit on the education of Robert C Byrd, about how self-taught he was."
Smock said he has seen thousands and thousands of photographs. "It has been very difficult for Senator Byrd's staff. I came in as a curator and archivist, but they were all in shock and mourning."
Smock plans to remove many photographs from their frames to restore their original resolution.
"Then we will get all these photographs digitized, so everyone has access to them."
Photographs and many documents will be posted on the Byrd Center's website.
(The center's website at Shepherd University is: www.ByrdCenter.org.)
Smock is collecting and organizing all of Byrd's papers, including personal letters, office files, legislative files and committee records. Some will go to the National Archives.
"For an historian," Smock said, "just going through these has been an incredible experience."
The Robert C. Byrd Center also plans to build new exhibit spaces in the near future, Smock said.
Byrd had about 35 people working at his offices in Washington and in Charleston and Martinsburg.
"Some have been asked to stay and work for Senator Carte Goodwin," Barth said. "A few have taken retirement, and a handful have found other positions."
Byrd spent his leisure time reading and studying. He also called friends and constituents nightly, on weekends and on holidays, especially Christmas Day.
Ferrell said, "America needs more complex multi-faceted people like Robert Byrd. He was a man for all times, because he changed with the times."
Barth said, "I thought he would live forever. His legacy will."
Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.
