Albert F. Polk was born on December 12, 1812, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. His parents were John Polk and Sarah (née Snelling) Polk. He had four brothers and four sisters. His early education was at the local schools in Mecklenburg County. After his father’s death in 1827, he worked on the family farm. In 1831, he moved to Tennessee and worked as a clerk in a store. In 1833, he began studying law and was admitted to the bar in 1834.
Polk began his political career in 1835, when he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives. He served in the House until 1839, when he was elected to the Tennessee Senate. He served in the Senate until 1841, when he resigned to run for governor of Tennessee. He was elected governor in 1841 and served one term, from 1842 to 1843. In 1844, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee’s 5th congressional district. He served in the House from 1845 to 1849. In 1849, he ran for governor again and was elected to a second term, serving from 1850 to 1851.
In 1852, Polk was nominated by the Democratic Party for president of the United States. He ran against the Whig Party nominee, Winfield Scott, and won the election. He was inaugurated as president on March 4, 1853. He served one term, from 1853 to 1857. During his presidency, Polk oversaw the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War. He also signed the Homestead Act into law.
After leaving office, Polk returned to Tennessee. He died on June 15, 1891, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was buried in the Nashville City Cemetery.
General Info
Died
February 14, 1955, Wilmington, Delaware, United States
[on the reputation of his friend Jack Pickford for drinking and womanizing] What do you expect from a guy with the biggest thirst and the biggest joint in town? Join a monastery?
Was reported to have said of Stan Laurel that he would sooner direct a tarantula.
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While most people who worked with W.C. Fields came to despise him (especially directors), Sutherland got along famously with him and became a lifelong friend.
His father Al Sutherland was a theatrical manager and producer and mother Julie Ring a vaudeville headliner. His great-grandfather J. H. Ring was a prominent English playwright, his aunt Blanche Ring a major American stage star, and his uncle Thomas Meighan a popular film actor.
