Alben W. Barkley

Alben William Barkley was a lawyer and politician from Kentucky who served in both houses of Congress and as the 35th Vice President of the United States from 1949 to 1953. In 1905, he was elected county attorney for McCracken County, Kentucky. He was chosen county judge in 1909 and U.S. Representative from Kentuckys First District in 1912. As a Representative, he was a liberal Democrat, supporting President Woodrow Wilsons New Freedom domestic agenda and foreign policy.

Willie Alben Barkley, the eldest of John Wilson and Electa Eliza Barkleys eight children, was born November 24, 1877. His grandmother, midwife Amanda Barkley, delivered him in the log house she lived in with her husband, Alben, in Wheel, Kentucky. Barkleys parents were tenant farmers who grew tobacco, and his father was an elder in the local Presbyterian church. Both parents were religious, opposed to playing cards and alcohol. Occasionally, Barkleys parents would leave him in the care of his grandparents for extended periods. During these times, his grandmother related stories of her relatives. Childhood playmates included future U.S. Vice President Adlai Stevenson and James A. McKenzie, a future U.S. Representative from Kentucky.

Source: Wikipedia