Thomas Francis Bayard Jr American lawyer and politician Date of Birth: 04.06.1868 Country: USA

Biography of Thomas Francis Bayard Jr.

Thomas Francis Bayard Jr. was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a United States Senator from the state of Delaware. He was born on June 4, 1868, in Wilmington, Delaware. He was the son of U.S. Senator Thomas F. Bayard and the grandson of U.S. Senator James A. Bayard Jr.

In 1908, he married Elizabeth Bradford du Pont, with whom he had five children: Elizabeth, Thomas, Ellen, James, and Alexis. The Bayard Jr. family were members of the Episcopal Church.

Bayard Jr. graduated from Yale University in 1890 and attended Yale Law School. He was admitted to the Delaware Bar Foundation in 1893. After spending four years in New York City working as a corporate counsel assistant, Thomas returned to the legal practice in his hometown of Wilmington in 1901. He served as the chairman of the Delaware Democratic Party from 1906 to 1916 and was also a solicitor for Wilmington from 1917 to 1919.

Bayard Jr. was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election held on November 7, 1922, to fill a vacant seat due to the resignation of U.S. Senator Josiah O. Wolcott. He defeated the incumbent Republican U.S. Senator T. Coleman du Pont and served with the Democratic minority during the last session of the 67th U.S. Congress and the 68th, 69th, and 70th Congresses.

Thomas lost the opportunity to run for a second full term in 1928, conceding to Republican John G. Townsend Jr. He also lost his second chance in 1930, as the post went to Republican U.S. Senator Daniel O. Hastings. Overall, Bayard served one full 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. He subsequently resumed his legal practice in Wilmington.

Thomas F. Bayard Jr. passed away on July 12, 1942, in his hometown and was buried at the Old Swedes' Episcopal Church Cemetery. His son, Alexis I. duPont Bayard, served as the Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from 1949 to 1953.