A 1908 graduate of the Maryland Agricultural College with a B.S. in engineering, Byrd began his 43-year career at the University of Maryland with a temporary two-week stint coaching football in 1911. He taught English and history, was athletic director, and served as an assistant to Raymond Pearson before becoming president.

Under his tenure as president, the University of Maryland became one of the largest universities in the country as a result of New Deal construction projects, war-time training programs, and the post-war enrollment boom. Byrd's major accomplishments included the development of an educational extension program that became University College and included a full academic program, partially funded by the Army and Air Force, for overseas military personnel. Byrd also took a personal interest in developing an American Studies program.

In 1935, Maryland became the first southern state university in the twentieth centry to accept African-Americans and, in 1951, the first to accept African-American undergraduates.

Byrd was very interested in constructing new buildings. According to the Washingtonian, "his office was always filled with blueprints, and students frequently saw him in the middle of the night poking around construction sites" wearing a hard hat.

"Just as important, the often-autocratic Byrd was deft at working both the recalcitrant state legislature and the federal government for funds. For several years, Maryland trailed only Massachusetts in total federal funding for higher education."

An accomplished athlete and former Terrapin football star player, Byrd never lost interest in the game of football. As president, he found the football team's success an effective means of lobbying for dollars from state legislators. The athletic program thus grew significantly under Byrd's guidance. Byrd used university funds to build a new football stadium, which opened in 1950 with a win over Navy. Byrd Stadium now stands as a reminder of his impact on athletics and the university.

Byrd retired to run, unsuccessfully, for governor. He was honored posthumously as an inductee to the prestigious Alumni Hall of Fame.

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