Pat Harrison
| Pat Harrison | |
|---|---|
Pat Harrison
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| President pro tempore of the United States Senate | |
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In office January 6, 1941 – June 22, 1941 |
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| Preceded by | William H. King |
| Succeeded by | Carter Glass |
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United States Senator from Mississippi |
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In office March 4, 1919 – June 22, 1941 |
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| Preceded by | James K. Vardaman |
| Succeeded by | James Eastland |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 6th district | |
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In office March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1919 |
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| Preceded by | Eaton J. Bowers |
| Succeeded by | Paul B. Johnson, Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Byron Patton Harrison August 29, 1881 Crystal Springs, Mississippi |
| Died | June 22, 1941 (aged 59) Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
University of Mississippi Louisiana State University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Byron Patton "Pat" Harrison (August 29, 1881 – June 22, 1941) was a Mississippi politician who served as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from 1911 to 1919 and in the United States Senate from 1919 until his death.
Pat Harrison was born at Crystal Springs, Mississippi. His father was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War and died in 1885. As a child, Harrison sold newspapers to supplement his family's income. After graduating as class valedictorian from Crystal Springs High School in 1899, he attended a summer term at the University of Mississippi before transferring to Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge on a baseball scholarship.
He dropped out after two years due to a lack of funds but was brought on to pitch for the Pickens, Mississippi, semi-professional baseball team in the 'Old Tomato League' summer circuit. After his stint in semi-professional baseball, Harrison moved to Leakesville, Mississippi. He taught and later became principal of the local high school. While supporting himself as an educator, Harrison studied law. He passed the Mississippi State Bar and opened a law practice in 1902.
In 1906, Harrison was elected district attorney to the Second Judicial District, and in 1908, moved to Gulfport, Mississippi. He served as district attorney until being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1910. The 1910 election introduced Harrison as a skilled orator and witty debater, a reputation he maintained throughout his political career. Newspaper editor Clayton Rand described his longtime friend's oratory style as "an eloquence that flowed like a babbling brook through a field of flowers."
After four years as district attorney on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Harrison won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1911 and was re-elected three times. One of the youngest members of the House, Harrison made his mark as an effective debater against Republican tariff and tax policies and soon became a favored aide to Democratic President Woodrow Wilson. In particular, Harrison supported Wilson's New Freedom policies and those concerning Mexico and Germany at the onset of America's involvement in World War I. In 1918, he ran against incumbent U.S. Senator James K. Vardaman, an enemy of President Wilson. In return for Harrison's past support, President Wilson personally endorsed him for Senator. Already popular among his constituents, Harrison emphasized his differences with Vardaman and won over a majority of Mississippi voters, who were effectively limited to white Democrats, following the state legislature's disenfranchisement of most black voters by a new constitution and discriminatory practices dating from 1890. After winning Vardaman's Senate seat in 1918, Harrison was re-elected for another three terms, as Mississippi was a one-party state dominated by Democrats. He ran unopposed in 1930 for his third term in the U.S. Senate.
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