Zadoc Lorenzo Weatherford (February 4, 1888 – May 21, 1983) 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 (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

for the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. Born on a farm in

Marion County, Alabama Marion County is a County (United States), county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 29,341. The county seat is Hamilton, Alabama, Hamilton. The county was created by an act of the ...

, near Vina, Franklin County, Weatherford attended the public schools. He earned an

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

from the

University of Tennessee at Memphis The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is a public medical school in Memphis, Tennessee. It includes the Colleges of Health Professions, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Since 1911, the Uni ...

in 1914, and served as an intern at St. Joseph Hospital in Memphis from 1914 to 1916. He moved to Red Bay, Alabama in 1916 and began a general medical practice. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served from August 26, 1917, as battalion surgeon in the Three Hundred and Twenty-sixth Infantry and was discharged on October 6, 1920. He was awarded a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

. After leaving the army, he was subdistrict medical officer for the

United States Veterans' Bureau The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

from 1922 to 1924, and then resumed medical practice in Red Bay. He was also interested in banking and agricultural pursuits, and held farming interests in both Alabama and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. He became president of the Bank of Red Bay in 1938, a position he would hold until 1970. Weatherford served as vice chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Committee from 1933 to 1937, and then in the Alabama State Senate from 1939 until his election to the U.S. Congress in 1940. He was elected to fill a vacancy caused by the death of

William B. Bankhead William Brockman Bankhead (April 12, 1874 – September 15, 1940) was an American politician who served as the 42nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940, representing Alabama's 10th and later 7th congressiona ...

, and served out the last few months of Bankhead's term, from November 5, 1940, to January 3, 1941, but did not run for reelection to a full term. After leaving Congress, he resumed his medical profession and entered local politics, serving as mayor of Red Bay from 1945 to 1948. He retired from active medical practice on January 1, 1958, and died in Red Bay on May 21, 1983.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weatherford, Zadoc Lorenzo 1888 births 1983 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Alabama Mayors of places in Alabama Democratic Party Alabama state senators People from Red Bay, Alabama United States Army officers American bank presidents Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 20th-century American legislators