Zadoc Lorenzo Weatherford (February 4, 1888 – May 21, 1983) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

for the Democratic Party. Born on a farm in

Marion County, Alabama Marion County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the population was 29,341. The county seat is Hamilton. The county was created by an act of the Alabama Territorial General Assembly on February 13, 1818. The coun ...

, near Vina, Franklin County, Weatherford attended the public schools. He earned an

M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...

from the

University of Tennessee at Memphis The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is a public medical school in Memphis, Tennessee. It includes the Colleges of Health Professions, Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Since 1911, the Uni ...

in 1914, and served as an intern at St. Joseph Hospital in Memphis from 1914 to 1916. He moved to

Red Bay, Alabama Red Bay is a city in Franklin County, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1907; its western boundary line is integral with the state line between Mississippi and Alabama. The population was 3,232 at the 2020 census. The town's name comes ...

in 1916 and began a general medical practice. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he served from August 26, 1917, as battalion surgeon in the Three Hundred and Twenty-sixth Infantry and was discharged on October 6, 1920. He was awarded a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

. After leaving the army, he was subdistrict medical officer for the United States Veterans' Bureau in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

from 1922 to 1924, and then resumed medical practice in Red Bay. He was also interested in banking and agricultural pursuits, and held farming interests in both Alabama and

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. He became president of the Bank of Red Bay in 1938, a position he would hold until 1970. Weatherford served as vice chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Committee from 1933 to 1937, and then in the

Alabama State Senate The Alabama State Senate is the upper house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The body is composed of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, with each district conta ...

from 1939 until his election to the U.S. Congress in 1940. He was elected to fill a vacancy caused by the death of William B. Bankhead, and served out the last few months of Bankhead's term, from November 5, 1940, to January 3, 1941, but did not run for reelection to a full term. After leaving Congress, he resumed his medical profession and entered local politics, serving as mayor of Red Bay from 1945 to 1948. He retired from active medical practice on January 1, 1958, and died in Red Bay on May 21, 1983.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weatherford, Zadoc Lorenzo 1888 births 1983 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Alabama Mayors of places in Alabama Democratic Party Alabama state senators People from Red Bay, Alabama United States Army officers American bank presidents Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Alabama Legislature