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93-661: The Karo Hills were first seen and roughly mapped by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition between 1928 and 1930, and were named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Vice Admiral Henry Arnold Karo , Director of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1955 to 1965 and Deputy Director of the U.S. Environmental Science Services Administration from 1965 to 1967. The Karo Hills run north-northeast from Mount Salisbury in

186-575: A London agent in May 1718. Spotswood had Byrd deposed from the council. Byrd promised to seek a reconciliation with Spotswood and to return to Virginia, which he did in February 1720 and reconciled with Spotswood. In 1721, he was appointed a paid agent for the House of Burgesses and returned to England. In 1726, he returned to Virginia. On April 28 of that year, he resumed attendance at the council. In 1728, he

279-645: A commission with commissioners and surveyors to lay out the Northern Neck Proprietary . Byrd wrote the report that was sent with the survey in August 1737 to England, but after his death a report from another commission was chosen. He was the senior councillor by 1743. Byrd courted Lucy Parke, daughter of Jane Ludwell Parke and Daniel Parke (1664–1710), who was Governor of the Leeward Islands . Lucy lived near Colonial Williamsburg at

372-475: A flourish." Their arguments often involved their slaves. Byrd notes in his diary entry for July 15, 1710 that Parke, "against my will caused little Jenny to be burned with a hot iron, for which I quarreled with her". Based on his diary, Byrd was singularly focused on treating his wife as a subordinate and did not foment closeness with their children. He often left his family for long periods of time. Their children were: Evelyn Byrd, for whom Evelynton Plantation

465-690: A letter from Nuku Hiva (the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia ) to Chambers, the ship's commanding officer, commending him and his crew "for the courage and efficiency" displayed following the explosion that made Byrd "feel proud to be an American. Great heroism was displayed, especially by the men who lost their lives rescuing the wounded." Byrd completed the Special Mission in December and participated in

558-503: A lot about England. He introduced the teen to gentlemen, clergymen, borough officials, and merchants. Byrd was interested in the commerce, art collections, libraries and architecture of the places that they visited. During his time in England, he was a social man who focused on developing wordsmanship and polite manners. His father died in 1705 and Byrd returned to Virginia. He was the primary heir to his father's fortune, making him one of

651-562: A mountain range, the Ames Range , after her father. They had four children – Richard Evelyn Byrd III , Evelyn Bolling Byrd Clarke, Katharine Agnes Byrd Breyer, and Helen Byrd Stabler. By late 1924, the Byrd family moved into a large brownstone house at 9 Brimmer Street in Boston's fashionable Beacon Hill neighborhood that had been purchased by Marie's father, a wealthy industrialist. Byrd

744-587: A parade in New York City, and Congress passed a special act on December 21, 1926, promoting him to the rank of commander and awarding both Floyd Bennett and him the Medal of Honor . The Josephine Ford was flown around the country in celebration. Bennett was promoted to the warrant officer rank of machinist. Byrd and Bennett were presented with Tiffany Cross versions of the Medal of Honor on March 5, 1927, at

837-461: A privately financed expedition, where he headed the inaugural aircraft crew that successfully flew over the South Pole. Byrd strongly advocated for ski-equipped aircraft, despite the considerable operational, logistical, and maintenance challenges they posed, necessitating the establishment of significant onshore bases to address these issues. As a result of his achievement, Byrd was promoted to

930-622: A time as Honorary National President (1931–1935) of Pi Gamma Mu , the international honor society in the social sciences. He carried the society's flag during his first Antarctic expedition to dramatize the spirit of adventure into the unknown, characterizing both the natural and social sciences. To finance and gain both political and public support for his expeditions, Byrd actively cultivated relationships with many powerful individuals, including President Franklin Roosevelt, Henry Ford, Edsel Ford, John D. Rockefeller Jr. , and Vincent Astor . As

1023-567: A token of his gratitude, Byrd named geographic features in the Antarctic after his supporters. On his second expedition during the summer of 1933–1934, (it was winter in the US, above the equator) Byrd spent five months alone operating a meteorological station, Advance Base, from which he narrowly escaped with his life after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning from a poorly ventilated stove. Unusual radio transmissions from Byrd finally began to alarm

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1116-591: Is now featured regularly in textbooks of American Colonial literature. Through The Secret History , the societal stereotypes and attitudes of the time are revealed. According to Pierre Marambaud, Byrd "had first prepared a narrative, The Secret History of the Line , which under fictitious names described the persons of the surveying expedition and the incidents that had befallen them." Many of his works were in manuscript form and published after his death. His major works include: William Byrd II died on August 26, 1744, and

1209-463: Is numbered 753 in the Scott's Catalog. The U.S. Post Office contracted with the expedition for this purpose as it had no other means to deliver mail to and from the Antarctic. Approximately 150,000 pieces of such mail went through the special Antarctic post office in 1933 to 1934. As only members of the post office were authorized to postmark and handle mail, Charles F. Anderson, a special representative of

1302-616: Is some controversy as to whether or not Byrd was actually the first person to reach the North Pole. It is generally believed that the distance Byrd claimed to fly was longer than the possible fuel range of his airplane. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor , the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration, and the Navy Cross , the second highest honor for valor given by the U.S. Navy. Byrd

1395-599: The Legion of Merit . In 1946, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal appointed Byrd as officer in charge of Antarctic Developments Project. Byrd's fourth Antarctic expedition was code-named Operation Highjump . It was the largest Antarctic expedition to date and was expected to last 6–8 months. The expedition was supported by a large naval force (designated Task Force 68), commanded by Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen . Thirteen US Navy support ships (besides

1488-733: The United States Strategic Bombing Survey (USSBS) in 1944 to 1945. On February 10, 1945, Byrd received the Order of Christopher Columbus from the government of the Dominican Republic . Byrd was present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. He was released from active duty on October 1, 1945. In recognition of his service during World War II, Byrd received two awards of

1581-518: The Virginia (Byrd's birth state). A base camp named " Little America " was constructed on the Ross Ice Shelf , and scientific expeditions by snowshoe , dog sled , snowmobile , and airplane began. To increase the interest of youth in arctic exploration, a 19-year-old American Boy Scout , Paul Allman Siple , was chosen to accompany the expedition. Siple went on to earn a doctorate and

1674-765: The Virginia Military Institute for two years and transferred to the University of Virginia , before financial circumstances inspired his starting over and taking an appointment to the United States Naval Academy , where he was appointed as a midshipman on May 28, 1908. On June 8, 1912, Byrd graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy. On July 14, 1912, he

1767-520: The White House by President Calvin Coolidge . Since 1926, doubts have been raised, defenses made, and heated controversy arose over whether or not Byrd actually reached the North Pole. In 1958, Norwegian-American aviator and explorer Bernt Balchen cast doubt on Byrd's statement on the basis of his knowledge of the airplane's speed. Balchen said that Bennett had confessed to him months after

1860-599: The Atlantic Ocean. Byrd was one of several aviators who attempted to win the Orteig Prize in 1927 for making the first nonstop flight between the United States and France. Once again, Byrd named Floyd Bennett as his chief pilot, with Norwegian Bernt Balchen, Bert Acosta , and Lieutenant George Noville as other crewmembers. During a practice takeoff with Anthony Fokker at the controls and Bennett in

1953-617: The Atlantic nonstop, another 20 years were needed before it would be realized on a commercial scale. In 1928, Byrd began his first expedition to the Antarctic involving two ships and three airplanes: Byrd's flagship was the City of New York (a Norwegian sealing ship previously named Samson that had come into fame as a ship some said was in the vicinity of the Titanic when the latter

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2046-625: The Atlantic nonstop, naming Balchen to replace Bennett, who had not yet fully recovered from his injuries, as chief pilot. Byrd, Balchen, Acosta, and Noville flew from Roosevelt Field, East Garden City, New York , in the America on June 29, 1927. On board was mail from the US Postal Service to demonstrate the practicality of aircraft. Arriving over France the next day, they were prevented from landing in Paris by cloud cover; they returned to

2139-511: The British designation of R-38 ). As fate would have it, Byrd missed his train to take him to the airship on August 24, 1921. The airship broke apart in midair, killing 44 of 49 crew members on board. Byrd lost several friends in the accident, and was involved in the subsequent recovery operations and investigation. The accident affected him deeply and inspired him to make safety a top priority in all of his future expeditions. Due to reductions in

2232-641: The Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1928-30. Named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for James B. Salisbury who made cosmic radiation studies at McMurdo Station in 1965. 85°34′S 154°10′W  /  85.567°S 154.167°W  / -85.567; -154.167 . A low mountain 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southeast of Mount Rigby in the Karo Hills, at

2325-633: The Chief of Naval Operations. The expedition continued in Antarctica without him until the last of its participants left Antarctica on March 22, 1941. As a senior officer in the United States Navy, Byrd was recalled on active duty on March 26, 1942, and served as the confidential advisor to Admiral Ernest J. King . From 1942 to 1945 he served on the South Pacific Island Base Inspection Board, which toured bases in

2418-782: The English colony of Virginia , Byrd was educated in London , where he practiced law. Upon his father's death, Byrd returned to Virginia in 1705. He served as a member of the Virginia Governor's Council from 1709 to 1744. Byrd was also the House of Burgesses 's colonial agent in London during the 1720's. His life reflected aspects of both the British colonial gentry and an emerging American identity. Byrd led surveying expeditions of

2511-657: The Navy Department Commission on Training Camps. In the autumn of 1917, he was sent to naval aviation school at Pensacola, Florida . He qualified as a naval aviator (number 608) in June 1918. He then commanded naval air forces at Naval Air Station Halifax in Nova Scotia , Canada, from July 1918 until the armistice in November. In that assignment, he was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant and

2604-691: The Navy after the First World War, Byrd reverted to the rank of lieutenant at the end of 1921. During the summer of 1923, then-Lieutenant Byrd and a group of volunteer Navy veterans of the First World War helped found the Naval Reserve Air Station (NRAS) at Squantum Point near Boston, using an unused First World War seaplane hangar which had remained more-or-less intact after the Victory Destroyer Plant shipyard

2697-606: The Parke's Queen's Creek plantation in York County, Virginia with her mother and her sister Frances. Her father, who lived with his mistress, forbade the women from entertaining male callers and did not provide the money for them to have clothes of their station. This made it difficult for Frances and Lucy to have suitors. Byrd, though, knew Parke and his aristocratic connections, and was favorably impressed with Parke's daughters, particularly Lucy. Byrd married Lucy on May 4, 1706, at

2790-533: The Postmaster General, was assigned to the post office at Little America in Antarctica. In late 1938, Byrd visited Hamburg, and was invited to participate in the 1938/1939 German " Neuschwabenland " Antarctic Expedition, but declined. (Although Germany was not at war with the United States at this time, Adolf Hitler had been serving as Führer of the German Reich since 1934, and i nvaded Poland

2883-585: The Queen's Creek plantation. Frances was married on the same day to John Custis (1678–after 14 November 1749). At the time of their marriage, Lucy Parke was 18 years old, and her mother was concerned that Daniel Parke's many romantic affairs and reputation for stinginess were hurting his daughter's marriage prospects. When Byrd wrote a letter to the Parkes asking to court Lucy, they immediately accepted. Byrd wooed her with passionate letters proclaiming his love. He

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2976-903: The Secretary of the Navy, the Commander-in-Chief United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations ordered Byrd to assume direction of a survey and "investigation of certain islands in the East and South Pacific in connection with national defense and commercial air bases and routes." The members of the Special Navy Mission sailed from Balboa, Canal Zone, on USS Concord , Captain Irving Reynold Chambers, commanding, in September 1943. A large explosion at sea on October 7, 1943, took

3069-585: The South Pacific in May and June 1942. The report submitted by the Board describes conditions found at each base and analyses, lessons learned in planning and equipping these bases. The report contains recommendations applicable to the individual bases and others designed to be helpful in the planning of future advanced bases. On 1 September 1943, in compliance with a series of letters from the President to

3162-586: The adjutant general of Rhode Island, for making great strides in improving the efficiency of the militia. Shortly after the entry of the United States into the First World War in April 1917, Byrd oversaw the mobilization of the Rhode Island Naval Militia. He was then recalled to active duty and was assigned to the Office of Naval Operations and served in a desk job as secretary and organizer of

3255-444: The aviation element during the expedition led to Byrd's renown as a pioneer of aircraft in exploration. During this expedition, Byrd made the acquaintance of Navy Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett and Norwegian pilot Bernt Balchen , both of whom would later contribute to Byrd's expeditions. Bennett served as a pilot in his flight to the North Pole the next year. Balchen, whose knowledge of Arctic flight operations proved invaluable,

3348-609: The border of Virginia and North Carolina . He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia . Byrd expanded his plantation holdings and commanded county militias during his life. His enterprises included promoting Swiss settlement in mountainous southwest Virginia and iron mining ventures in Germanna and Fredericksburg . A member of the Royal Society , Byrd was an early advocate of variolation to counter smallpox . He may be best known for his writings in his diary and

3441-401: The capitol where I sent for the wench to clean my room and when I came I kissed her and felt her, for which God forgive me ... About 10 o'clock I went to my lodgings. I had good health but wicked thoughts, God forgive me. In addition to the passages recounting his many infidelities, the diary also contains a record of the lives of slaves held by Byrd and his subsequent punishment. Byrd often beat

3534-548: The co-pilot seat, the Fokker Trimotor airplane, America , crashed, severely injuring Bennett and slightly injuring Byrd. As the plane was being repaired, Charles Lindbergh won the prize by completing his historic flight on May 21, 1927. (Coincidentally, in 1925, then Army Air Service Reserve Corps Lieutenant Charles Lindbergh had applied to serve as a pilot on Byrd's North Pole expedition, but apparently, his bid came too late.) Byrd continued with his quest to cross

3627-558: The coast of Normandy and crash-landed near the beach at Ver-sur-Mer (known as Gold Beach during the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944) without fatalities on July 1, 1927. In France, Byrd and his crew were received as heroes and Byrd was invested as an Officer of the French Legion of Honor by Prime Minister Raymond Poincare on July 6. After their return to the United States, an elaborate dinner in their honor

3720-550: The condition that she remain unmarried and living in Westover. The first diary runs from 1709 to 1712 and was first published in the 1940s. It was originally written in a shorthand code and deals mostly with the day-to-day aspects of Byrd's life, many of the entries containing the same formulaic phrases. A typical entry read like this: [October] 6. I rose at 6 o'clock and said my prayers and ate milk for breakfast. Then I proceeded to Williamsburg , where I found all well. I went to

3813-401: The expedition. The flight left from Spitsbergen (Svalbard) and returned to its takeoff airfield, lasting 15 hours and 57 minutes, including 13 minutes spent circling at their Farthest North . Byrd and Bennett said they reached the North Pole, a distance of 1,535 miles (1,335 nautical miles ). When he returned to the United States from the Arctic, Byrd became a national hero. He was thrown

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3906-399: The flagship USS  Mount Olympus and the aircraft carrier USS  Philippine Sea ), six helicopters, six flying boats, two seaplane tenders, and 15 other aircraft were used. The total number of personnel involved was over 4,000. William Byrd II William Byrd II (March 28, 1674 – August 26, 1744) was an American planter, lawyer, surveyor and writer. Born in

3999-437: The flight of the airship Norge that flew from Spitsbergen (Svalbard) to Alaska nonstop with a crew including Roald Amundsen , Umberto Nobile , Oscar Wisting , and Lincoln Ellsworth . In 1927, Byrd announced he had the backing of the American Trans-Oceanic Company , which had been established in 1914 by department-store magnate Rodman Wanamaker for the purpose of building aircraft to complete nonstop flights across

4092-452: The flight that Byrd and he had not reached the pole. Bennett, who had not completely healed from the early crash, developed pneumonia after participating in a flight to rescue downed German aviators in Greenly Island, Canada, leading to his death on April 25, 1928. Bennett, though, had started a memoir, given numerous interviews, and wrote an article for an aviation magazine about the flight before his death that all confirmed Byrd's version of

4185-427: The flight. The 1996 release of Byrd's diary of the May 9, 1926, flight revealed erased (but still legible) sextant sights that sharply differ from Byrd's later June 22 typewritten official report to the National Geographic Society. Byrd took a sextant reading of the Sun at 7:07:10 GCT. His erased diary record shows the apparent (observed) solar altitude to have been 19°25'30", while his later official typescript reports

4278-484: The funding needed to finance Byrd's expedition to the Antarctic. The expedition, via the Post Office, sold philatelic subscription Philatelic covers to be serviced at the official USPOD post office set up in the Antarctic exploration base , dubbed Little America , and which was officially established on October 6, 1933. All mail sent to the Antarctic required at least one Byrd II 3 cent stamp (pictured), along with sufficient postage amounting to 53 cents. The postage stamp

4371-479: The image of a more submissive wife, accepting Byrd's authority over the household. She was certainly well-mannered, and epitomised the upper-class lady that he desired, without any record of passionate " flourishes " to quell arguments or threatening the servants. Despite Byrd's renewed sexual advances on other women, Taylor kept the household in good order. More recently, Allison Luthern has suggested that 'a closer examination of sources reveals that Maria [Taylor] Byrd

4464-430: The least fright, and was persuaded she would live… Gracious God what pains did she take to make a voyage hither to seek a grave." Byrd married Maria Taylor (1698-1771), daughter of a Kensington gentleman, on May 9, 1724. She was 25 years of age and Byrd was 50. Taylor, an heiress of a wealthy family from Kensington , was a different character than Parke. Her rare appearance in Byrd's diary has left some historians with

4557-413: The lives of 24 Concord crewmen, including the executive officer, Commander Rogers Elliott. Caused by ignition of gasoline fumes at the stern of the ship, the explosion threw some men overboard, while others were killed from concussion, burns, fractured skulls and broken necks. Several sailors died while trying to save their shipmates. The dead were buried at sea on October 8. On October 23, 1943, Byrd wrote

4650-412: The men at the base camp, who then attempted to go to Advance Base. The first two trips were failures due to darkness, snow, and mechanical troubles. Finally, Thomas Poulter , E. J. Demas , and Amory Waite arrived at Advance Base, where they found Byrd in poor physical health. The men remained at Advance Base until October 12. when an airplane from the base camp picked up Dr. Poulter and Byrd. The rest of

4743-466: The men returned to base camp with the tractor. This expedition is described by Byrd in his autobiography Alone . During the summer months the days were long and the evenings existed in twilight. Inside the exploration headquarters Byrd had fashioned a large calendar on the wall, where he would cross off each day as it passed. A CBS radio station, KFZ, was set up on the base camp ship, the Bear of Oakland and The Adventures of Admiral Byrd program

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4836-465: The mouth of Scott Glacier. First observed and roughly mapped by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1928-30. Named by US-ACAN for John F. Rigby, geologist at McMurdo Station, summer 1965-66. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey . Byrd Antarctic Expedition Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957), an American naval officer ,

4929-415: The narratives of his surveying, some of which have been published in American literature textbooks. Byrd recorded his exploits, which are notable for its openness on issues such as sex and Byrd's brutal treatment of his slaves . William Byrd, the eldest child of Mary Horsmanden Filmer Byrd and her second husband, William Byrd I , was born on March 28, 1674, in Henrico County, Virginia . His father

5022-409: The next year .) Byrd's third expedition was the first one financed and conducted by the United States government. The project included extensive studies of geology, biology, meteorology, and exploration. The innovative Antarctic Snow Cruiser was brought with the expedition, but broke down shortly after arriving. Within a few months, in March 1940, Byrd was recalled to active duty in the Office of

5115-522: The rank of rear admiral by a special act of Congress on December 21, 1929. As he was only 41 years old at the time, this promotion made Byrd the youngest admiral in the history of the United States Navy. By way of comparison, none of his Annapolis classmates became admirals until 1942, after 30 years of commissioned service. He is one of only four persons including Admiral David Dixon Porter , Arctic explorer Rear Admiral Donald Baxter MacMillan and Rear Admiral Frederic R. Harris , to have been promoted to

5208-517: The rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy without having first held the rank of captain. After a further summer of exploration, the expedition returned to North America on June 18, 1930. Unlike the 1926 flight, this expedition was honored with the gold medal of the American Geographical Society . This was also seen in the film With Byrd at the South Pole (1930), which covered his trip there. Byrd, by then an internationally recognized, pioneering American polar explorer and aviator, served for

5301-410: The receiver generalship for £500 to a Virginian. Spotswood sought approval for the Tobacco Inspection Act of 1713—which regulated the quality and sale of tobacco exports—and the Indian Trade Act of 1714—which established a monopoly over commerce with Native Americans. Both were passed by the Virginia General Assembly, but it received a royal veto, which Byrd considered a personal win. Byrd was appointed

5394-424: The royal revenue. Byrd felt that he was responsible for the operations of the receiver's office and had objected to Spotwood's actions and saw it as a personal affront. Byrd sailed for England in March or April 1715 at least in part to have Spotswood removed from office. Soon after, his wife joined him in England and died of smallpox . Within two months, he began to look for women to court. While in England, he sold

5487-400: The same 7:07:10 apparent solar altitude to have been 18°18'18". On the basis of this and other data in the diary, Dennis Rawlins concluded that Byrd steered accurately, and flew about 80% of the distance to the pole before turning back because of an engine oil leak, but later falsified his official report to support his statement of reaching the pole. Accepting that the conflicting data in

5580-438: The sextant data in the long-unavailable original official typewritten report are all expressed to 1 second, a precision not possible on Navy sextants of 1926 and not the precision of the sextant data in Byrd's diary for 1925 or the 1926 flight, which was normal (half or quarter of a minute of arc). If Byrd and Bennett did not reach the North Pole, then the first flight over the pole occurred a few days later, on May 12, 1926, with

5673-406: The slaves he held and sometimes devised other punishments even more cruel and unusual: September 3, 1709: I ate roast chicken for dinner. In the afternoon I beat Jenny for throwing water on the couch. December 1, 1709: Eugene was whipped again for pissing in bed and Jenny for concealing it. December 3, 1709: Eugene pissed abed again for which I made him drink a pint of piss. While William Byrd

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5766-429: The south, separating the Koerwitz Glacier to the west from the Scott Glacier to the east. Other peaks include Mount Hastings and Mount Rigby. 85°38′S 153°37′W  /  85.633°S 153.617°W  / -85.633; -153.617 . An ice-free mountain, 970 metres (3,180 ft) high, standing at the west side of the lower Scott Glacier at the south end of the Karo Hills. First seen and roughly mapped by

5859-416: The temporary rank of lieutenant commander. For his services during the war, he received a letter of commendation from Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels , which was after World War II converted to a Navy Commendation Medal . After the war, Byrd volunteered to be a crew member in the U.S. Navy's 1919 aerial transatlantic crossing. This mission was historic, as it was the first time the Atlantic Ocean

5952-442: The time. All but two of his early literary works remained in manuscript form after his death at Westover in 1744, only appearing in print in the early 19th century and later receiving "dismissive commentary" by literary critics. It was not until the last quarter of the 20th century that his writings were assessed with any critical enthusiasm. The History of the Dividing Line is Byrd's most influential piece of literary work and

6045-441: The trip on May 18, 1919, achieving the first transatlantic flight. In 1921, Byrd volunteered to attempt a solo nonstop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, prefiguring Charles Lindbergh 's historic flight by six years. Byrd's ambition was dashed by then acting Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt Jr. , who felt the risks outweighed the potential rewards. Byrd was then assigned to the ill-fated dirigible ZR-2 (formerly known by

6138-510: The typed report's flight times indeed require both northward and southward ground speeds greater than the flight's 85-mph airspeed , a Byrd defender posits a westerly-moving anticyclone that tailwind-boosted Byrd's ground speed on both outward and inward legs, allowing the distance said to be covered in the time stated (the theory is based on rejecting handwritten sextant data in favor of typewritten alleged dead-reckoning data ). This suggestion has been challenged by Dennis Rawlins, who adds that

6231-404: The wealthiest men in the colony. He became the receiver general; the post was separated from the auditorship following his father's death. On September 12, 1709, nearly four year after he applied, he was appointed to a seat on the Virginia Governor's Council , a position he held until his death. Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood reorganized the collection of quitrents in order to enlarge

6324-448: The west side of Scott Glacier. First sighted by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1928–30. Named by US-ACAN for James V. Hastings who carried out geomagnetic studies at McMurdo Station, summer 1964-65. 85°33′S 154°35′W  /  85.550°S 154.583°W  / -85.550; -154.583 . A mountain, 950 metres (3,120 ft) high, standing 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) northwest of Mount Hastings, just west of

6417-432: Was a planter , public official, and a Native American trader. When he was two, his mother took him with her to visit relatives in Purleigh , England. He was in England and living with his mother's relatives in 1681, when he was enrolled in Felsted School , where he studied Hebrew, Italian, and French. It was his father's goal that Byrd was educated to become a gentleman and had first-hand experiences with aristocrat. He

6510-450: Was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau . He is also known for discovering Mount Sidley , the largest dormant volcano in Antarctica. Byrd claimed to be the first to reach both the North and South Poles by air. However, there

6603-402: Was able to thwart Nicholson's efforts. In 1702, he attempted to have Nicholson removed from office, but the petition was rejected by the Crown and Byrd lost his position on the council. In 1701, he went on a 14-week tour of England with Sir John Perceval , who was the nephew of Sir Robert Southwell. Byrd was 26 and Perceval was 18. By this time Byrd had a number of aristocratic friends and knew

6696-558: Was admitted to Lincoln's Inn October 1697 and soon after defended Governor Sir Edmund Andros in a hearing at Lambeth Palace that unseated Andros for impeding the establishment of the College of William & Mary and replaced him with Francis Nicholson as Governor of Virginia. He became the London agent for the Virginia Governor's Council in 1698. His father held the combined offices of auditor- and receiver-general, which Nicholson had attempted to separate. In this position, Byrd

6789-579: Was an apprentice in London and Rotterdam for two years for tobacco trading companies, where he learned about commerce. During that time, he acquired the social graces of a gentleman. He then studied law at Middle Temple from 1692 to 1695, when he was admitted to the bar to practice law. The following year he was elected as a Fellow in the Royal Society with the support of Sir Robert Southwell , his father's friend. By this time, Byrd spent much of his childhood in England, but born in Virginia, where he

6882-590: Was an avid planter, politician, and statesman, he was also a man of letters. He collected books written in English, French, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin on a wide range of subjects. Considered one of the greatest colonial libraries, he had 3,500 volumes, including biography, history, architecture, science, divinity and law. He also had books about gardening, art, medicine, drama, and etiquette. A prolific writer, Byrd wrote essays, histories, and speeches. He also wrote caricatures, poetry, and diaries. He corresponded with noted naturalists, statesmen, and writers of

6975-399: Was appointed to survey the Virginia and North Carolina border by the next Lieutenant Governor Sir William Gooch . The Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730 was passed and Byrd's land was chosen for construction of a warehouse, of direct benefit to him. He is responsible for the establishment of the cities of Petersburg and, on his own land, Richmond, Virginia in 1733. Gooch appointed Byrd to

7068-613: Was assigned to the battleship USS Wyoming . During service in the Caribbean Sea, Byrd received his first letter of commendation, and later a Silver Lifesaving Medal , for twice plunging fully clothed to the rescue of a sailor who had fallen overboard. In April 1914, he transferred to the armored cruiser USS Washington and served in Mexican waters in June following the American intervention in April. His next assignment

7161-589: Was born in Winchester, Virginia , the son of Esther Bolling (Flood) and Richard Evelyn Byrd Sr. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia . His ancestors include planter John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas , William Byrd II of Westover Plantation , who established Richmond , as well as William Byrd I and Robert "King" Carter , a colonial governor. He was also descended from George Yeardley , Francis Wyatt and Samuel Argall . He

7254-491: Was built on the site. NRAS Squantum was commissioned on August 15, 1923, and is considered to have been the first air base in the Naval Reserve program. Byrd commanded the aviation unit of the arctic expedition to North Greenland led by Donald B. MacMillan from June to October 1925. Although the expedition was largely unsuccessful (they did not in fact reach the pole) Byrd's efforts and the successful contributions of

7347-574: Was crossed by an aircraft. It was decided that only men who had not served overseas would be allowed on the mission. Unfortunately for Byrd, his tour of duty in Newfoundland was considered overseas service. Byrd was, however, able to make a valuable contribution, as his expertise in aerial navigation resulted in his appointment to plan the flight path of the mission. Of the three flying boats (NC-1, NC-3, and NC-4) that started from Newfoundland, only Lieutenant Commander Albert Read 's NC-4 completed

7440-487: Was expected to return, he was not accepted as an Englishman. This made it difficult for him to marry into an aristocratic family or become a politician in England. After a 15-year absence, he returned to Virginia in the summer of 1696. Due to his education and his father's influence, he was elected to the House of Burgesses in the fall of that year, but he withdrew in October to return to London, where he practiced law. He

7533-605: Was friends with Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford , whose admiration of his polar exploits helped to gain Byrd sponsorship and financing for his various polar expeditions from the Ford Motor Company. He had a pet dog, Igloo, who accompanied Byrd to the North and South poles and who is buried at the Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery with a tombstone that reads "He was more than a friend." Byrd attended

7626-738: Was held in New York City on July 19. Byrd and Noville were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur at the dinner. Acosta and Balchen did not receive the Distinguished Flying Cross because, at that time, it could only be awarded to members of the armed services and not to civilians. Byrd wrote an article for the August 1927 edition of Popular Science Monthly in which he accurately predicted that while specially modified aircraft with one to three crewmen would fly

7719-570: Was launched. Byrd, along with pilot Bernt Balchen , co-pilot/radioman Harold June , and photographer Ashley McKinley , flew the Floyd Bennett to the South Pole and back in 18 hours, 41 minutes. They had difficulty gaining enough altitude, and they had to dump empty gas tanks, as well as their emergency supplies, to achieve the altitude of the Polar Plateau, but they were ultimately successful. In November 1929, Byrd participated in

7812-406: Was named, and Wilhelmina Byrd, who married Thomas Chamberlayne. Despite the couple's differences, aspects of their relationship appear tender and romantic. Following Byrd to London, she died of smallpox in 1716. Byrd suffered greatly, blaming himself for her death. He wrote of the "insupportable pain in her head… the smallpox… we thought it best to tell her the danger. She received the news without

7905-451: Was not as easily governed by these powerful men as William Byrd II... indicates.' Their children were: Anne Carter, Maria Taylor Carter, Colonel William Byrd III , and Jane Page. Taylor appears to have tactically bided her time as Byrd aged, controlling the education of their children together and preparing to take control of Westover in her widowhood. She outlived Byrd by 37 years, supported by an annual pension in Byrd's will for £200 on

7998-415: Was probably the only person, other than Byrd himself, to participate in all five of Byrd's Antarctic expeditions. Photographic expeditions and geological surveys were undertaken for the duration of that summer, and constant radio communications were maintained with the outside world. After their first winter, their expeditions were resumed, and on November 28, 1929, the first flight to the South Pole and back

8091-492: Was promised a £1,000 dowry when he married Lucy, but rather than delivering it upon their marriage, he was bequeathed the amount at Parke's death. Byrd assumed debts of the Parke estate, which was a financial burden throughout the rest of his life. In exchange for accepting the debts, he took over lands that had been left to his wife's sister. Byrd and Lucy Parke Byrd quarreled frequently. Byrd sometimes noted that after these arguments, they made up and he "rogered her" or "gave her

8184-492: Was short-waved to Buenos Aires, then relayed to New York. Sponsored by General Foods , the broadcasts aired on Saturday nights at 10:00 pm and reached #16 on the Hooper rating for the 1933-34 broadcast season, reaching an average audience of 19.1 million. Byrd's Antarctic expedition prompted President Roosevelt and the U.S. Postmaster General to honor the event in 1933 on a U.S. commemorative stamp which greatly helped raise

8277-611: Was sinking) and the Eleanor Bolling (named after Byrd's mother); a Ford Trimotor airplane called the Floyd Bennett (named after the recently deceased pilot of Byrd's previous expeditions) flown by Dean Smith ; a Fairchild FC-2W2 , NX8006, built 1928, named Stars And Stripes (now displayed at the National Air and Space Museum 's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center ); and a Fokker Super Universal monoplane called

8370-547: Was the brother of Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd , a dominant figure in the Virginia Democratic Party from the 1920s until the 1960s; their father served as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates for a time. On January 20, 1915, Richard married Marie Ames Byrd (d. 1974). He would later name a region of Antarctic land he discovered " Marie Byrd Land " after her, and

8463-437: Was the primary pilot on Byrd's flight to the South Pole in 1929. On May 9, 1926, Byrd and Navy Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett attempted a flight over the North Pole in a Fokker F.VIIa/3m tri-motor monoplane named Josephine Ford after the daughter of Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford , who helped finance the expedition. In addition to Ford contributions, John D. Rockefeller also notably provided funding for

8556-650: Was to the gunboat USS Dolphin , which also served as the yacht of the Secretary of the Navy. This assignment brought Byrd into contact with high-ranking officials and dignitaries, including then Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt . He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) on June 8, 1915. During Byrd's assignment to Dolphin , he was commanded by future Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy , who served as chief of staff to President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II . Byrd's last assignment before forced retirement

8649-585: Was to the presidential yacht USS Mayflower . On March 15, 1916, Byrd, much to his frustration, was medically retired on three-quarters pay for an ankle injury he suffered on board Mayflower . Shortly thereafter, on December 14, 1916, he was assigned as the inspector and instructor for the Rhode Island Naval Militia in Providence, Rhode Island . While serving in this position, he was commended by Brigadier General Charles W. Abbot ,

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