Frank Morris Byrne (October 23, 1858December 24, 1927) was an American businessman and politician who served as the eighth Governor of South Dakota.

Biography

Byrne was born near

Volney, Iowa Volney is an unincorporated community in Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. History Volney was platted in 1856. By the 1870s, Volney contained gristmills, a sawmill, and a cooperage business. Volney's population was 60 in 1902, and 99 in 192 ...

to Irish immigrants, Michael and Delia (Hart) Byrne. Byrne's formal education was limited to rural school; but, he frequently read books from his own large library. He was married to Emilie (Emma) Beaver and they had five children.

Career

In 1879, he drove a team of oxen to

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

in what was then

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of N ...

. Byrne worked for homesteaders near Sioux Falls until filing on his own claim in McCook County in 1880. In 1883, he sold his claim and moved to Faulk County to sell insurance. In 1885 and 1886, Byrne spent time in the northern part of Dakota Territory, investing in an insurance company in Fargo and then represented the firm in Faulk and

Potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: Places United States *Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US * Potter, Arkansas *Potter, Nebraska * Potters, New Je ...

Counties in 1888. Byrne became involved in politics when officials at

Forest City, South Dakota Forest City is an unincorporated community in Potter County, in the U.S. state of South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakot ...

refused to surrender the Potter County records to Gettysburg during a dispute over the site of the county seat. Byrne was one of several men who organized the raiding party, which successfully brought the records to Gettysburg. In 1889, Byrne held his first political office as state senator from Faulk and Potter Counties but lost the election in 1890. He served as treasurer of Faulk County for four years. Byrne and his former tutor, Coe I. Crawford, became involved with South Dakota's Progressives; and, Byrne represented his district as state senator in 1907 and 1909. From 1911 to 1913, Byrne served as the ninth

Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota The lieutenant governor of South Dakota is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of South Dakota state government and also serves as presiding officer of the South Dakota Senate. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the officer of go ...

during Robert S. Vessey's second term as governor. In March 1913, Byrne became

Governor of South Dakota The governor of South Dakota is the head of government of South Dakota. The governor is elected to a four-year term in even years when there is no presidential election. The current governor is Kristi Noem, a member of the Republican Party who t ...

after a hard-fought campaign against Judge James W. McCarter, and went on to serve two terms from 1913 to 1917. In 1914, Byrne won re-election with

Peter Norbeck Peter Norbeck (August 27, 1870December 20, 1936) was an American politician from South Dakota. After serving two terms as the ninth Governor of South Dakota, Norbeck was elected to three consecutive terms as a United States Senator. Norbeck was ...

as lieutenant governor. During his tenure, a tax commission was created and a state bank guaranty act was adopted through his persistence. Byrne completed his second term as governor and returned to Faulkton. In 1918, Byrne ran in the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

primary for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. He lost when Coe Crawford and Peter Norbeck both supported the incumbent, Thomas Sterling. He left politics until 1922, when Governor William H. McMaster appointed him as Commissioner of Agriculture, a position he held until retiring in 1924.

Death

A rheumatic condition forced Byrne to walk with a cane; and, he moved to the milder climates of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

and then California. Frank M. Byrne died in San Francisco, California and is interred at Halcyon Cemetery,

Halcyon, California Halcyon is an unincorporated community of about 125 acres (50 ha) in San Luis Obispo County, California, just south of Arroyo Grande. It was founded in 1903 as a Theosophical intentional community and is the home and headquarters of a religi ...

References

External links

National Governors Association
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, Frank M. 1858 births 1927 deaths Republican Party governors of South Dakota Lieutenant Governors of South Dakota Republican Party South Dakota state senators People from Allamakee County, Iowa People from Faulkton, South Dakota