Born April 7, 1786, William Rufus DeVane King, 13th Vice President of the US under Franklin Pierce, served virtually his entire term as VP on foreign soil. A member of Phoenix Lodge 8, Fayetteville, NC, Brother King contracted tuberculosis prior to the election of 1852. After the campaign was over, his doctors advised him to go to Cuba to recuperate. He took the oath of office there by special act of congress. His health continued to fail. He returned home and died the following day, April 18, 1853, having served just 45 days in office.
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