The Assistant President

Few people outside of South Carolina are familiar with the name of, much less the role, James F. Byrnes played in shaping 20th century America. He is the only man in the history of the United States to occupy positions in all three federal government branches--executive, congressional, and judicial. From pre-World War I through the 1960s, Byrnes was an influential legislator, supreme court justice, and intimate adviser to presidents. "The Assistant President: South Carolina''s James F. Byrnes" chronicles the life and times of an important but often forgotten public servant.