July 21, 1897

Walter William Bankhead, a businessman whose grandfather, father and uncle served many years in elected office but whose own time in Congress was very brief, was born in Jasper. His grandfather was John Hollis Bankhead, who served 20 years in the U.S. House and 13 years in the Senate; his father, John Hollis Bankhead II, was a U.S. senator for 15 years; and his uncle, William B. Bankhead, was a speaker of the U.S. House. Walter Bankhead served less than one month in the House in 1941 when he was picked to fill a vacant seat until a special election could be held. Also related to the actress Tallulah Bankhead, Walter Bankhead made his mark in business. He was chairman of Bankhead Mining Company and Bankhead Developing Company, president of Mammoth Packing Company and Bankhead Broadcasting Company and vice chairman of the First National Bank of Jasper. In addition, he practiced law. Walter Bankhead died in 1988.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Walter William Bankhead and an unnamed friend pose for a souvenir photo at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California, in 1915. The exposition, which ran from February to December 1915, was created to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, photo courtesy of the Bankhead Family Collection at the Bankhead House & Heritage Center, Walker Area Community Foundation)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.