Born in Olympus , Tennessee , he pursued a legal career after graduating from the Cumberland School of Law . He won election to the Tennessee House of Representatives and served in Cuba during the Spanish – American War . He represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives from 1907 to 1921 and from 1923 to 1931 . As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee , Hull helped pass the Revenue Act of 1913 and the Revenue Act of 1916 , which implemented the federal income tax and the federal estate tax . He served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1921 to 1924 and was a presidential candidate at the 1928 Democratic National Convention
1928 Democratic National Convention
1928 Democratic National Convention
Cordell Hull