William R. King

William R. King
1839 portrait
13th Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1853[a] – April 18, 1853
President	Franklin Pierce
Preceded by	Millard Fillmore
Succeeded by	John C. Breckinridge
United States Senator from Alabama
In office July 1, 1848 – December 20, 1852
Preceded by	Arthur P. Bagby
Succeeded by	Benjamin Fitzpatrick
In office December 14, 1819 – April 15, 1844
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	Dixon Hall Lewis
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office May 6, 1850 – December 20, 1852
Preceded by	David Rice Atchison
Succeeded by	David Rice Atchison
In office July 1, 1836 – March 4, 1841
Preceded by	John Tyler
Succeeded by	Samuel L. Southard
United States Minister to France
In office April 9, 1844 – September 15, 1846
President	John Tyler James K. Polk
Preceded by	Lewis Cass
Succeeded by	Richard Rush
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 5th district
In office March 4, 1811 – November 4, 1816
Preceded by	Thomas Kenan
Succeeded by	Charles Hooks
Member of the North Carolina House of Commons
In office 1807–1809
Personal details
Born	William Rufus DeVane King (1786-04-07)April 7, 1786 Sampson County, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	April 18, 1853(1853-04-18) (aged 67) Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Resting place	Old Live Oak Cemetery
Political party	Democratic-Republican (before 1828) Democratic (1828–1853)
Education	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA)
Signature

William Rufus DeVane King (April 7, 1786 – April 18, 1853) was an American politician and diplomat. He was the 13th vice president of the United States from March 4 until his death in April 1853. Earlier he had served as a U.S. representative from North Carolina and a senator from Alabama. He also served as minister to France under President James K. Polk.

A Democrat, he was a Unionist and his contemporaries considered him to be a moderate on the issues of sectionalism, slavery, and westward expansion, which contributed to the American Civil War. He helped draft the Compromise of 1850.^[1] He is the only United States vice president to take the oath of office on foreign soil; he was inaugurated in Cuba, due to his poor health. He died of tuberculosis 45 days later, becoming the third vice president to die in office. Only John Tyler and Andrew Johnson, both of whom succeeded to the presidency, have had shorter tenures. King was the only U.S. vice president from Alabama.

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