Thomas Francis Bayard Jr. (June 4, 1868 – July 12, 1942) was an American lawyer and politician from

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. He was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Delaware in the 1920s.

Early life

Elizabeth Bradford (du Pont) Bayard 1880-1975

Bayard was born in Wilmington, Delaware, son of U.S. Senator Thomas F. Bayard Sr. and grandson of U.S. Senator

James A. Bayard Jr. James Asheton Bayard Jr. (November 15, 1799 – June 13, 1880) was an American lawyer and politician from Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party and served as U.S. Senator from Delaware. Early life Bayard was born in Wilmington, ...

Bayard graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1890, where he was a member of

Skull and Bones Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bone ...

, and served as secretary of his class. He attended

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...

and was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1893.

Personal life

He married Elizabeth Bradford du Pont on October 3, 1908. Together, they had five children: *

Alexis I. du Pont Bayard Alexis Irénée du Pont Bayard (February 11, 1918 – September 3, 1985) was an American lawyer and politician from Rockland, near Greenville, in New Castle County, Delaware. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 13th Lieutenant Go ...

(Feb. 10, 1918 in

- Sep. 2, 1985 in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

) Graduate of

, Politician and 13th Lieutenant Governor of Delaware. Married to Jane Buckley Hildreth (Nov. 14, 1916 in

- Dec. 12, 2008 in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

) in 1944. He died following heart surgery. * Elizabeth * Ellen * James * Thomas Francis Bayard III (Oct. 12, 1902 in

Greenville, Delaware Greenville is a bedroom community in New Castle County, Delaware, United States, and a suburb of Wilmington. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Greenville as a census ...

- Dec. 17, 1983 in

Middleburg, Virginia Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 673 as of the 2010 census. It is the southernmost town along Loudoun County's shared border with Fauquier County. Middleburg is known as the "Nation's Horse an ...

) Graduate of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, Executive at the DuPont Company. Married to Ruth Broadbent Castor (Mar. 27, 1906 - Jun. 21, 1994) in 1928 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, divorced in 1944.

Career

After living in New York City for four years and working as assistant corporation counsel, he returned to his Delaware law practice in 1901. He served as a chairman of the Delaware Democratic Party's state committee from 1906 to 1916, and as solicitor for the city of Wilmington from 1917 until 1919. Bayard was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election on November 7, 1922, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of U.S. Senator Josiah O. Wolcott. On the same day, he was also elected for the full term to follow, in both instances defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Senator T. Coleman du Pont (a cousin of Bayard's wife), who had been appointed. During this term, he served in the Democratic minority in the last session of the 67th Congress, and in the 68th, 69th, and 70th Congress. Bayard lost his bid for a second full term in 1928 to Republican John G. Townsend Jr., the former governor. He then lost another bid for a second full term in 1930 to incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Daniel O. Hastings. In all, Bayard served one term and part of another, from November 7, 1922, to March 3, 1929, during the administrations of U.S. presidents

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

and

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

. Subsequently, he resumed his law practice in Wilmington.

Death and legacy

Bayard died at Wilmington and is buried there in the Old Swedes Episcopal Church Cemetery. His son,

, served as Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 1949 to 1953. He is the namesake of the town of Bayard, West Virginia.

References

* *

External links

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayard, Thomas F. Jr. 1868 births 1942 deaths Du Pont family Thomas F. Jr. American Episcopalians People from Wilmington, Delaware Yale Law School alumni Delaware lawyers Delaware Democrats Democratic Party United States senators from Delaware Burials in New Castle County, Delaware