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

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Unami language, 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 colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North ...

. 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. 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 w ...

in 1890, where he was a member of Skull and Bones, 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 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.S. News & World ...

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 (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. Since ...

) 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) in 1944. He died following heart surgery. * Elizabeth * Ellen * James * Thomas Francis Bayard III (Oct. 12, 1902 in Greenville, Delaware - Dec. 17, 1983 in Middleburg, Virginia) Graduate of the

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

, 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. Si ...

, 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 Josiah Oliver Wolcott (October 31, 1877 – November 11, 1938) was an American lawyer, politician and judge, from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Attorney General of Delaware, U.S. Senator ...

. 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 Thomas Coleman du Pont (December 11, 1863 – November 11, 1930) was an American engineer and politician, from Greenville, Delaware. He was President of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and a member of the Republican Party who served part ...

(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. John Gillis Townsend Jr. (May 31, 1871 – April 10, 1964) was an American businessman and politician from Selbyville in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party who served one term as Governor and two terms as U.S. Se ...

, 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 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 Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...

. 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 Holy Trinity Church, also known as Old Swedes, is a historic church at East 7th and Church Street in Wilmington, Delaware. It was consecrated on Trinity Sunday, June 4, 1699, by a predominantly Swedish congregation formerly of the colony of New S ...

. His son, Alexis I. du Pont Bayard, 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