James F. Byrnes

James Francis Byrnes (May 2, 1879 - April 9, 1972) was an American statesman from the state of South Carolina. During his career, Byrnes served as a member of the House of Representatives (1911-1925), as a Senator (1931-1941), as Justice of the Supreme Court (1941-1942), as Secretary of State (1945-1947), and as Governor of South Carolina (1951-1955). He therefore became one of very few politicians to be active in all three branches of the federal government while also being active in state government. He was also a confidant of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was one of the most powerful men in American domestic and foreign policy in the mid-1940s