Background
Gallion was born in 1913 in Montgomery.
attorney general lawyer lieutenant
Gallion was born in 1913 in Montgomery.
He attended Lakeview Grammar School, Paul Hyne and Phillips High Schools in Birmingham. Gallion attended the University of Alabama from 1931 until 1937, when he received his law degree.
He then began the practice of law. During World World War II, Gallion served in the United States. Marine Corps from 1942 until 1945. He rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant and saw combat in the Central Pacific and was wounded at Saipan.
After the war, Gallion served as a special counsel for the State of Alabama in the Phenix City trials.
He served as the Chief Assistant Attorney General during the tenure of then-Attorney General John M. Patterson from 1955 to 1959. Gallion was elected Attorney General in 1958 as a Democrat for the 1959–1963 term of office.
He declined to seek re-election in 1962 and instead opted to run for governor but lost the Democratic primary to George C. Wallace. He successfully sought re-election to his old office of Attorney General in 1966.
He then lost re-election in 1970 to then-Houston County District Attorney Bill Baxley.
During his tenure as Attorney General, Gallion successfully led litigation that established Alabama"s offshore oil and gas rights. This helped the state later establish what is now a multimillion-dollar trust fund. Gallion was a Mason. He died on August 11, 2007.
While a student, he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He was also a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, Elks and Woodmen of the World.