politician representative speaker
Bankhead was born at the Bankhead plantation in Lamar County, Alabama. His father, John H. Bankhead, was a very active politician, who had served in the Alabama legislature, and later served as United States. Representative and Senator. His mother was Tallulah James Brockman, granddaughter of South Carolina state Senator Thomas Patterson Brockman and he was raised as a Methodist.
William Bankhead attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and played on the university"s first football team, organized in 1892. He studied law at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, District of Columbia, graduating in 1895.
Was a prominent supporter of President Franklin Roosevelt"s New Deal of pro-labor union legislation, thus clashing with most other southern Democrats in Congress at the time. described himself as proud to be a politician, by which he meant that he did not neglect matters that concerned his district or reelection. He was the father of Tallulah. "s brother, John H. II, also served in the Senate.
He was immediately admitted to the bar in Alabama, and practiced law in Huntsville.
In 1898, he became city attorney of Huntsville, serving until 1902. In 1900, he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives for one term, serving through 1901.
In 1905, he moved to Jasper, Alabama. In 1910 he was appointed solicitor of the fourteenth judicial circuit of Alabama, serving until 1914.
In 1914, he sought the Democratic nomination for United States. Representative, but did not get lieutenant
In 1916, he was elected Representative from the newly created 10th Congressional District. (Alabama was apportioned a tenth Congressional seat after the 1910 Census, but the seat was filled by at-large election in 1912 and 1914) held the 10th District until it was abolished after the 1930 Census, when Alabama lost a seat. He was the only person ever elected from the 10th District.
After reapportionment and redistricting following the 1930 Census, was re-elected Representative from the 7th District in 1932, and was re-elected three times, serving until his death in 1940.
In 1934, he was chosen House Majority Leader by his fellow Democrats. On June 4, 1936, he was chosen Speaker of the House to succeed Jo Byrns, who had died that morning. served as Speaker until his own death in office on September 15, 1940.
As Speaker, held the highest political office of any Alabamian save Vice President William R. King. At the 1940 Democratic National Convention (three months before his death), he finished 2nd to Henry A. Wallace on the Vice Presidential ticket, losing the delegate count 626-329. family "s father John H. was a United States. The William B. National Forest and sections of old United States Highway 78 in northern Alabama are named in his honor.
His home in Jasper has been renovated to house the Walker Area Community Foundation"s " House and Heritage Center", a history museum and arts venue.
