Walker was born August 12, 1783, in
Amelia County, Virginia, of
Scots-Irish heritage, the son of Rev. Jeremiah Walker and Mary Jane Graves. He was educated at the prestigious Willington Academy of Dr.
Moses Waddel near
Petersburg, Georgia, and received degrees in 1806 and 1809 from
Princeton University. He studied law and was admitted to the bar at Petersburg. In 1808, Walker married Matilda Pope, daughter of
LeRoy Pope and Judith Sale, and in 1810, he followed his father-in-law to settle in the new town of
Huntsville,
Mississippi Territory (now
Alabama), and there began the practice of law. Upon the formation of the
Alabama Territory in 1817, Walker served as a representative from
Madison County to the first territorial legislature in 1818. In the second session, he served as
speaker. In 1819, he was president of the convention that framed Alabama's first constitution, which enabled Alabama's admission to the
United States. On October 28, 1819, Walker was elected by an almost unanimous vote of the state legislature as the first United States senator from Alabama. He served from December 14, 1819, until his resignation on December 12, 1822, on account of his failing health. He died in Huntsville on April 23, 1823, and is buried in
Maple Hill Cemetery.
Walker County, Alabama, established December 20, 1824, is named in his honor. == Family ==