Birch Bayh Birch Evans Bayh II Office: U.S. Senator, Indiana Political party: Democratic Term of office: January 1963-January 1981 Preceded by: Homer Earl Capehart Succeeded by: J. Danforth Quayle III Born: January 22, 1928 Terre Haute, Indiana Spouse: (1) Marvella Hearn (died) (2) Katherine Halpin Birch Evans Bayh II (born January 22, 1928) was a U.S. Senator from Indiana between 1963 and 1981. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election but lost to Jimmy Carter. He is the father of former Indiana governor and current US Senator Evan Bayh. Bayh was born in Terre Haute, Indiana. After serving in the United States Army, he attended the Purdue University School of Agriculture and graduated in 1951. He later attended Indiana State University and Indiana University School of Law.
He served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1954 to 1962. In the House, he rose to the position of Speaker and, in 1961, was admitted to the Indiana bar. He won the 1962 US Senate race in Indiana.
On June 19, 1964, Bayh, his wife, Senator Ted Kennedy and legislative aide Edward Moss were on board a small plane that crashed in heavy fog near Springfield, Massachusetts. Senator Bayh pulled a badly injured Senator Kennedy from the wreckage. Senator and Mrs. Bayh were relatively unhurt, while the pilot and Moss were both killed in the crash.
Bayh was influential in the passing of Title IX, the clause that gave women equal opportunities in sports and activities in public education.
As Chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, Bayh was the principal architect of two constitutional amendments:
The 25th Amendment, which established the rules for presidential succession and disability. The 26th Amendment, which lowered the minimum voting age to 18. Bayh was also the principal architect of the Equal Rights Amendment, which was not adopted.
Additionally, he served for many years on the Senate judiciary committee and was involved in two nominations in which the nominee was declined.
He ran for reelection for a fourth term in the 1980 election. Bayh and his opponent, Congressman and future vice president Dan Quayle, engaged in seven debates. In those debates, Quayle attacked Bayh's liberal voting record, which hurt Bayh, and he was defeated for reelection in the Republican landslide year. Bayh has since resumed his law practice.
Preceded by: Homer E. Capehart United States Senator (Class 3) from Indiana 1963-1981 Succeeded by: Dan Quayle
