William B. Bankhead

William B. Bankhead
42nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
In office
June 4, 1936 – September 15, 1940
Preceded byJo Byrns
Succeeded bySam Rayburn
Leader of the House Democratic Caucus
In office
June 4, 1936 – September 15, 1940
Preceded byJo Byrns
Succeeded bySam Rayburn
House Majority Leader
In office
January 3, 1935 – June 4, 1936
DeputyPatrick J. Boland
Preceded byJo Byrns
Succeeded bySam Rayburn
Chair of the House Rules Committee
In office
April 1, 1934 – January 3, 1935
Preceded byEdward W. Pou
Succeeded byJohn J. O'Connor
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama
In office
March 4, 1917 – September 15, 1940
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byZadoc L. Weatherford
Constituency10th district (1917–1933)
7th district (1933–1940)
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
In office
1900–1901
City Attorney of Huntsville
In office
1898–1902
Personal details
Born
William Brockman Bankhead

(1874-04-12)April 12, 1874
Sulligent, Alabama, U.S.
DiedSeptember 15, 1940(1940-09-15) (aged 66)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Adalaide Eugenia Sledge
(m. 1900; died 1902)
Florence McGuire
(m. 1915)
Children2, including Tallulah
Parent
Relatives
EducationUniversity of Alabama (BA)
Georgetown University (LLB)

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 congressional districts as a Democrat from 1917 to 1940. Bankhead was a strong liberal and 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.[1] Bankhead described himself as proud to be a politician, by which he meant that he did not neglect matters that concerned his district or reelection.[2] He was the father of actress Tallulah Bankhead.

Bankhead died on September 15, 1940, from an abdominal hemorrhage, while still in office.[3][4]

  1. ^ Robert E. Dewhirst, John David Rausch, Encyclopedia of the United States Congress (2007), p. 35.
  2. ^ Heacock, Walter J. (1955). "William B. Bankhead and the New Deal". Journal of Southern History. 21 (3): 347–359. doi:10.2307/2954955. JSTOR 2954955.
  3. ^ "Alabama's history: Three generations of Bankheads were the state's shining stars". AL.com. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  4. ^ "William B. Bankhead | Encyclopedia of Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved January 10, 2018.