Walter Will Bankhead (July 21, 1897 – November 24, 1988) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

Early life

Walter Will Bankhead was born on July 21, 1897 in

Jasper, Alabama Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and ...

. Bankhead attended the public schools. He was the son of John Hollis Bankhead II, grandson of John H. Bankhead, nephew of William Brockman Bankhead, and cousin of

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...

. He was graduated from

Marion Military Institute Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state military college o ...

in 1916, from the

University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the public ...

in 1919, and from the law department of the

University of Alabama School of Law The University of Alabama School of Law, (formerly known as the Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. School of Law at The University of Alabama) located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is a nationally ranked top-tier law school and the only public law school in the st ...

in 1920. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1920 and commenced practice in Jasper.

Career

Bankhead served as delegate to the

1940 Democratic National Convention The 1940 Democratic National Convention was held at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois from July 15 to July 18, 1940. The convention resulted in the nomination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for an unprecedented third term. Secretary o ...

in Chicago. Bankhead was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Seventy-seventh Congress and served from January 3 to February 1, 1941, when he resigned. He then resumed the practice of law. He served as chairman of the board of Bankhead Mining Co., Inc., and Bankhead Development Co., Inc.. He served as president of Mammoth Packing Co. and Bankhead Broadcasting Co., Inc. He served as vice chairman of the board of directors, First National Bank of Jasper.

Personal life

Bankhead had two daughters, and one son, Blossom, Barbara, and John Hollis Bankhead III.

Death

Bankhead died at his home in Jasper on November 24, 1988. He was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Jasper.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bankhead, Walter Will 1897 births 1988 deaths People from Jasper, Alabama University of Alabama alumni University of Alabama School of Law alumni Bankhead family American people of Scotch-Irish descent Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama