John H. Bankhead

For his son, see John H. Bankhead II.

The Honorable John H. Bankhead
United States Senator from Alabama
In office June 18, 1907 – March 1, 1920
Preceded by	John T. Morgan
Succeeded by	B. B. Comer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 6th district
In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1907
Preceded by	John Mason Martin
Succeeded by	Richmond P. Hobson
Personal details
Born	John Hollis Bankhead (1842-09-13)September 13, 1842 Moscow, Alabama
Died	Washington, D.C
Political party	Democratic

John Hollis Bankhead (September 13, 1842 – March 1, 1920) was a Democratic U.S. Senator from the state of Alabama between 1907 and 1920.

Biography

Bankhead was born on September 13, 1842, at Moscow, Marion County, Alabama (near present day Sulligent, Alabama). His great-grandfather, James Bankhead (1738–1799) was born in Ulster and settled in South Carolina. At age 65, John H. Bankhead was appointed, then elected, to serve out the remainder of the U.S. Senate term left by the death of John Tyler Morgan and later re-elected twice. He served from June 18, 1907, until his death on March 1, 1920. B. B. Comer, former governor of Alabama, was appointed to serve the rest of his term, until November 2, 1920, when J. Thomas Heflin was elected to serve out the term.

Bankhead was a member of the Inland Waterways Commission in 1907, and was instrumental in enacting the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916, which became the first federal highway funding legislation.

United States Senator John H. Bankhead II and Speaker of the House William Brockman Bankhead were his sons, and actress Tallulah Bankhead was his granddaughter. The cross-country Bankhead Highway was named after him, as is Bankhead Lake on the Black Warrior River near Birmingham.

See also

• Bankhead House (Jasper, Alabama)
• James Greer Bankhead House

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• John H. Bankhead at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• John H. Bankhead at Find a Grave

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by John Mason Martin	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 6th congressional district 1887–1907	Succeeded by Richmond P. Hobson
United States Senate
Preceded by John Tyler Morgan	U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Alabama 1907–1920 Served alongside: Edmund Pettus, Joseph F. Johnston, Francis S. White and Oscar Underwood	Succeeded by Braxton B. Comer