Lloyd Campbell Bird (August 1, 1894 – April 20, 1978) was a pharmacist, businessman and Democratic politician who served as a Virginia State Senator for 28 years and helped found

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

Early and family life

He was born in

Highland County, Virginia Highland County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,232, making it the state's least populous jurisdiction, including counties and independent cities. Its county seat is Monterey. K ...

to George Anson Bird and his wife Mary Susan Campbell. Bird graduated from the

Medical College of Virginia The VCU Medical Center (VCU Health), formerly known as the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), is the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, United States. As MCV, VCU Medical Center merged ...

in 1917. He married Mrs Lucille Crutchfield, and they had a son and daughter.

Career

After graduation, Bird began teaching at what is now the

. In 1925, he partnered with Morris Phipps to start Phipps & Bird, a business that provided laboratory apparatus, chemicals and other products for scientific education. From 1952 to 1953, he was the president of the

Virginia Academy of Science The Virginia Academy of Science is a non-profit organization established to promote science and scientific research in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Academy was first established in 1920 in Richmond, Virginia, by a group of nine biologists. A ...

, which in 1972 elected him as a "

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

". A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Bird began his public career as a member of the

Byrd Organization The Byrd machine, or Byrd Organization, was a political machine of the Democratic Party led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd (1887–1966) that dominated Virginia politics for much of the 20th century. From the 1890s until the ...

. Voters first elected him to the Virginia Senate in 1944, and he represented Charles City, Chesterfield, Henrico, James City, and New Kent counties as well as the city of

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

. Bird replaced fellow Democrat

Hunsdon Cary Hunsdon is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is around east of Ware and north-west of Harlow. The population of the village taken at the 2011 Census was 1,080. See also * Baron Hunsdon * Hunsdon Airfield * Hunsdon Ho ...

, who resigned during the 1942 General Assembly, but the vacancy was not filled for the special session that fall. Despite multiple reorganizations of his senatorial district, Bird was continually re-elected (generally for four year terms) more than seven times. During his long tenure, redistricting occurred several times, both due to federal census results and court orders pursuant to the instructions of the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

concerning one-man, one-vote. In 1955, a major reorganization of the Senate renumbered his district the 33rd, and limited it geographically to Charles City and Chesterfield counties, part of Henrico county and the city of Colonial Heights; the 34th district at that time was redrawn to include only the city of Richmond, and was represented by three state senators. Another reorganization in 1963 renumbered Bird's district the 32nd and it included Charles City, Chesterfield, James City and New Kent counties, as well as the cities of Colonial Heights and Williamsburg; the 33rd district was redrawn at that time to encompass Richmond City and the 34th district to include Henrico County. A further reorganization in 1965 renumbered Bird's district the 29th, and it included Charles City, Chesterfield, Amelia, New Kent Counties and the city of Colonial Heights. Bird retired after the massive Republican victories in the 1970 elections, and subsequent redistricting after the 1970 census split his district into three districts, each with a veteran Democratic senator whom he would thus have to defeat in the party's primary. Charles City and New Kent counties were added to the 4th senatorial district (which also included Gloucester, Goochland, Hanover, King and Queen, King William. Louisa, Mathews and Middlesex counties) which was represented by Leslie D. Campbell Jr.; Chesterfield County was combined with Henrico County and Richmond City as the 11th senatorial district, which continued to be represented by Byrd Organization stalwart Frederick T. Gray and Colonial Heights was added to the 16th senatorial district (which included Prince George, Surry, Sussex counties and the cities of Hopewell and Petersburg) and represented by

Elmon T. Gray Elmon Taylor Gray (May 1, 1925 – September 27, 2011) was an American lumberman, real estate developer, philanthropist and Democratic member of the Senate of Virginia from Waverly, Virginia. Early and family life Elmon Gray was born on May 1, ...

.Leonard p. 763 While many now regret Bird's involvement in Massive Resistance, as it ended pursuant to adverse court decisions and voter antipathy, Bird headed a legislative commission worked with fellow Byrd stalwart and Virginia Governor Mills E. Godwin as well as former Richmond mayor (turned member of the Virginia House of Delegates)

Eleanor P. Sheppard Eleanor Parker Sheppard (July 24, 1907 – March 13, 1991) was an American civic activist and Democratic politician who became the first woman to be elected to the city council of Richmond, Virginia, and later became her adopted city's first f ...

to form

by merging his alma mater, the

and

Richmond Professional Institute The Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) was an educational institution established in 1917, which merged with the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe P ...

Death and legacy

Bird retired from the Senate shortly after his wife's death, but lived an additional eight years.

Lloyd C. Bird High School Lloyd C. Bird High School is a public high school in Chesterfield, Virginia, Chesterfield, an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. It is par ...

Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is a County (United States), county located just south of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north an ...

is named after him.

External links

L. C. Bird High School

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bird, Lloyd C. 1894 births 1978 deaths People from Highland County, Virginia People from Chesterfield County, Virginia Democratic Party Virginia state senators Medical College of Virginia alumni Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia) 20th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly