Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/311

 WALKER

WALKER

1809 ; studied law and was admitted to the bar in Petersburg, Ga. He established himself in prac- tice at Huntsville, Miss. Ter. (now Ala.)? in 1810, where he was married to Matilda, daughter of Col. LeRoy and Judith (Sale) Pope. He was a representative in the territorial legislature, 1818-19, and was president of the first constitu- tional convention of Alabama, 1819, He was one of the first U.S. senators elected from Alabama, taking his seat Dec. 14, 1819, having drawn the long term expiring March 3, 1835. He was a man of great worth, and enjoyed the confidence of the people in a remarkable degree. He resigned in 1822, and William Kelly completed his term. He died in Huntsville. Ala., April 23, 1823.

WALKER, Joseph tlenry, representative, and political economist, was born in Boston, Mass., Dec. 21, 1829 ; son of Joseph and Hannah Thayer (Ciiapin) Walker; grandson of Joseph and Me- hitable (Gibbs) Walker, and of Eli and Libby (Thayer) Chapin, and a descendant in the ninth generation from Capt. Richard Walker (born in London, England, 1592), a member of the Ancient Artillery company of London, who set- tled in Lynn, Mass., in 1630, and was a constitu- ent member of the Ancient and Honorable Artil- lery company of Boston. His parents removed to Hopkinton, in 1831, thence to Worcester, in 1843. He attended the public schools, Avorked at the bench in his father's boot factory, and kept the books after working hours, becoming a mem- ber of the firm of Joseph Walker & Co. in 1850. He was married, May 18, 1852, to Sarah, daugh- ter of Jubal and Lucretia (Keyes) Harrington of Worcester, Mass., and secondly, April 3, 1862, to Hannah M. (Kelley) Spear, daughter of Michael B. and Rachel (Cross) Kelley of Hampton, N.H. With his brother he succeeded to the busiaess of his fatlier, as J. H. and G. M. Walker, which firm existed until 1887. He also established the business of leather ' manufacturing in Chicago, 111., in 1868, and continued a partner of the Walker-Oakley company until 1895. He served as a member and president of the common coun- cil of Worcester ; representative in the state legislature, 1879, 1880 and 1887 ; as a Republican representative for the tenth Massachusetts dis- trict, in the 51st and 52d congresses, 1889-93 ; from the third district in the 53d, 54th and 55th congresses, 1893-99 ; was chairman of the com- mittee on banking and currency in the 54th and 55th congresses ; was defeated for the 56th con- gress in 1898, and withdrew from pviblic service, devoting himself to economic studies and writ- ing, and to the development of his stock farm at New Hampton, N.H. He was made a trustee and director in banking institutions of Worces- ter ; trustee of the Newton Theological Institution from 1874 ; of Brown university from 1880 ; presi-

dent of the board of trustees of Worcester acad" emy ; trustee of the American Institute of Civics from 1890 ; a member of the American Academy of Political and Social Science from 1892 ; corre- spondent of the Brooklyn Institute of Art and Physics from 1899, and for many years served as president of the Worcester Board of Trade. He was a charter member and the first president of the Economic club of Worcester. 1903. He re- ceived the honorary degree LL.D. from Tufts col- lege in 1891. He is the author of : Money, Trade and Banking, and in 1903 had in preparation four volumes on economic questions, the fruit of contributions to Giuiton's Magazine, the North American Review and other periodicals.

WALKER, Joseph Marshall, governor of Louisiana, was born in New Orleans. La. His father was of English descent and his mother French. He was liberally educated, and subse- quently purchased plantations in Rapides Parish, La., where he engaged in cotton planting. He served as a representative in the state legislature and as a state senator ; was brigadier-general of state militia, 1812-15 ; president of the state constitutional convention, 1845, and state treas- urer, 1846. He was elected governor of Louisi- ana as a Democrat, and was the first governor to be inaugurated at Baton Rouge, the new capital. During his administration, 1850-53, he opposed the new state constitution adopted in 1852, and also the withdrawal of the prohibition to create banking institutions. After Governor Walker's resignation in 1853, he refused several political honors, including that of representative in con- gress. He died in New Orleans, La., Jan. 26, 1856.

WALKER, Leroy Pope, soldier, was born in Huntsville, Ala., Feb. 8, 1817 ; son of John Will- iams Walker (q. v.), who married Matilda Pope. He was educated at the universities of Alabama and Virginia and in the law office of Ar- thur F. Hopkins, and was admitted to the bar in 1837. He practised in Moul- ton, Ala., in part- nership with D. G. ^ Ligon ; served as so- licitor of his circuit ; ^/ as a representative in the state legislature ; as a state senator, and was speaker of the house, 1847 and 1849. He was a Cass and Butler elector in

1848 ; a Pierce and King elector in 1853, and a Buchanan and Breckinridge elector in 1856. from the state at large. He removed to Huntsville in

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