Joseph Wellington Byrns Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTennessee's5th district | |
| In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Merrill Atkinson |
| Succeeded by | Percy Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Wellington Byrns Jr. August 15, 1903 (1903-08-15) |
| Died | March 8, 1973(1973-03-08) (aged 69) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Cornelia Park Lillie (Warmack) Adams |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Joseph Wellington Byrns Jr. (August 15, 1903 – March 8, 1973) was an Americanattorney and one-termU.S. Representative fromTennessee.
Byrns was born inDavidson County, Tennessee, the son of formerHouse SpeakerJoseph W. Byrns and Julia Woodard. He completed his schooling at the Emerson Institute inWashington, D.C. in 1923 while his father was serving in Congress. In 1928, he graduated from theVanderbilt UniversityLaw School and was admitted to thebar the same year. Byrns was first married to Cornelia Park in 1929, but the marriage ended in divorce. It is said that Cornelia liked being Mrs. Joseph W. Byrns Jr., and for the rest of her life refused to acknowledge the divorce. Byrns later enjoyed a happy marriage to Mrs. Lillie (Warmack) Adams ofGoodlettsville, Tennessee.
From 1930 to 1938, Byrns was a member of the reserve component of the formerArmy Air Corps, where he became acaptain.
In 1938, Byrns won theDemocratic nomination for his father's old House seat and was elected to that office in November of that year. He served that one term, from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941,[1] and won the Democratic nomination for a second one in 1940. His vote for an amendment that would have postponed the operation of theSelective Service Act by 60 days helped to inspire opposition from anindependent candidate namedPercy Priest, who was a member of the editorial staff of theNashville Tennessean. Priest defeated Byrns by a 50%-43% margin (24,565 votes to 20,933 votes, with 3,459 votes going to theRepublican nominee). After his defeat, he resumed the practice of law.
Byrns served on active duty in theUnited States Army duringWorld War II, from June 23, 1942 until August 17, 1945, almost all of this time in theEuropean Theater of Operations.[2]
Although Byrns achieved some stature during his life, he was always overshadowed by the successes and popularity of his father. Afterwards, he retired toFlorida.
Byrns died inDaytona Beach, Florida, on March 8, 1973, aged 69, and isinterred atMount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville along with his parents and second wife.[3]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromTennessee's 5th congressional district 1939-1941 | Succeeded by |
