A. B. Meek
A. B. Meek, born on July 17, 1814, in Columbia, South Carolina, was a prominent figure in the legal and literary circles of the 19th century American South. After moving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at the age of five, he pursued higher education at the University of Alabama, earning both his A.B. and A.M. degrees. Admitted to the bar in 1835, Meek practiced law while also engaging in military service during conflicts with the Creek Indians. He briefly served as Alabama's attorney general before transitioning to various editorial roles, including at the magazines Flag of the Union and Southron. His judicial career included a significant appointment as a probate court judge and later as the assistant secretary of the United States Treasury under President James K. Polk. Meek was also active in education reform, establishing a free public school system in Alabama. In addition to his legal and editorial work, he published two collections of poetry and was involved in state politics. He passed away on November 1, 1865, in Columbus, Mississippi.
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A. B. Meek
Author
- Born: July 17, 1814
- Birthplace: Columbia, South Carolina
- Died: November 1, 1865
- Place of death: Columbus, Mississippi
Biography
A. B. Meek was born on July 17, 1814, in Columbia, South Carolina. His parents, Rev. Samuel Meek, a Methodist minister, physician, and druggist, and Anne McDowell Meek, were both natives of South Carolina. His ancestors on both sides of his family were Irish. His family moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when he was five.
Meek was educated at the University of Alabama, obtaining his A. B. degree in 1833, and his A.M. degree in 1836. Meek later received an honorary A.M. degree from the University of Georgia in 1844. In 1835, Meek was admitted to the bar, and afterwards he practiced law in Tuscaloosa. In 1836, troubles with the Creek Indians arose, and he volunteered as an ensign in the United States Army. Later in the year, he was appointed attorney general of Alabama, in order to fill a vacancy, and he held this position until the following winter.
Meek edited several magazines throughout his career, including Flag of the Union, based in Tuscaloosa, from 1835 until 1839, and the Southron, from 1839 until 1842. In 1842 he was appointed judge of the probate court at Tuscaloosa and remained in this position until 1845, when President James K. Polk appointed him assistant secretary of the United States Treasury. He held the office for two years and then retired with the commission of federal attorney for the southern district of Alabama, remaining in that position for the rest of Polk’s term. Later on, Meek became associate editor of the Mobile Daily Register, represented Mobile in the Alabama House of Representatives, and was chairman of the state’s committee on education. While chairman, Meek established a system of free public schools for Alabama.
Meek published two collections of poetry in his later years. He married Emma Donaldson Slatter, a widow, in 1856, but the couple had no children. He died on November 1, 1865, in Columbus, Mississippi.