Willie P. Mangum

Willie P. Mangum
1844 portrait by James Lambdin
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office May 31, 1842 – March 3, 1845
Preceded by	Samuel L. Southard
Succeeded by	Ambrose Hundley Sevier (acting)
United States Senator from North Carolina
In office November 25, 1840 – March 3, 1853
Preceded by	Bedford Brown
Succeeded by	David Reid
In office March 4, 1831 – November 26, 1836
Preceded by	James Iredell Jr.
Succeeded by	Robert Strange
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 8th district
In office March 4, 1823 – March 18, 1826
Preceded by	Josiah Crudup
Succeeded by	Daniel Barringer
Personal details
Born	(1792-05-10)May 10, 1792 Orange County, North Carolina, United States (now Durham County)
Died	September 7, 1861(1861-09-07) (aged 69) Bahama, Durham County, North Carolina, Confederate States of America
Resting place	Mangum family cemetery Walnut Hall
Political party	Federalist (Before 1816) Democratic (Before 1834) Whig (1834–1852) American (1856–1861)
Spouse	Charity Cain
Children	5
Education	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA)

Willie Person Mangum (/ˈwaɪli ˈpɑːrsən/; May 10, 1792 – September 7, 1861) was an American politician and planter who served as U.S. Senator from the state of North Carolina between 1831 and 1836 and between 1840 and 1853. He was one of the founders and leading members of the Whig party, and was a candidate for president in 1836 as part of the unsuccessful Whig strategy to defeat Martin Van Buren by running four candidates with local appeal in different regions of the country.^[1]

Most notably, Mangum served as President pro tempore of the Senate for most of John Tyler's presidency, between 1842 and 1845. He was, therefore, first in the presidential line of succession during this time, as Tyler did not have a vice president. (There was no constitutional mechanism for filling an intra-term vice presidential vacancy at the time.) Had Tyler died, resigned or been removed from office at any time during his presidency, Mangum would have become acting president of the United States.