Birch Bayh

official U.S. Senate photo of Birch Bayh

Birth Name: Birch Evans Bayh, Jr.

Date of Birth: January 22, 1928

Place of Birth: Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.

Date of Death: March 14, 2019

Place of Death: Easton, Maryland, U.S.

Ethnicity: German, English, Welsh, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, distant Dutch

Birch Bayh was an American politician. He is the only non-Founding Father to have authored two constitutional amendments, the 25th and the 26th. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, from November 5, 1958 to November 9, 1960, and as a U.S. Senator from Indiana, from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1981.

He was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1972 and 1976.

Birch was the son of Leah Ward (Hollingsworth) and Birch Bayh (Birch Evans Bayh), an NCAA head basketball coach. Birch’s first wife, Marvella Bayh, was a cancer activist, and died from breast cancer. The couple had a son, Evan Bayh, who was Governor of Indiana, from 1989 to 1997, and a U.S. Senator from Indiana, from 1999 to 2011. Birch was later married to Kitty Halpin, until his death. The couple had one son.

Birch’s paternal grandfather was Frederick C. Bayh (the son of Christopher Bayh and Christina Crauf). Frederick was born in Indiana, to German parents, from Württemburg.

Birch’s paternal grandmother was Nettie/Mettie Evans (the daughter of Jesse Lewis Evans and Elizabeth Ann Evans). Nattie was born in Indiana. Jesse was the son of Samuel Evans and Marjorie/Margery Moddrell/Modrell. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry Evans.

Birch’s maternal grandfather was John Harrison Hollingsworth (the son of James Hollingsworth and Mary Catherine Dovel). John was born in Indiana. James was the son of George Hollingsworth and Nancy McGowan/McCowan. Mary Catherine was the daughter of Peter Dovel, whose father was English, and of Elizabeth Ann Keyser.

Birch’s maternal grandmother was Mary Katherine Ward (the daughter of Anderson Ward and Elizabeth Jane Rolls/Roll). Mary Katherine was born in Indiana. Anderson was a Campbellite preacher at Palmer Prarie Church, and was the son of Elijah McGowan Ward and Mary Collins. Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward Roll and Nancy Beard, whose father was Irish.

Sources: Genealogies of Birch Bayh – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com