| Political Party | Democratic |
| Term | March 4, 1853 - April 18, 1853 (66-67) |
| President | Franklin Pierce |
| Predecessor | Millard Fillmore |
| Successor | John C. Breckinridge |
| Full Name | William Rufus DeVane King |
| Birth |
April 7, 1786 Sampson County, North Carolina |
| Father | William Rufus King (1755-1816) |
| Mother | Margaret DeVane (1758-1826) |
| Brothers |
Thomas DeVane King (1779-1854) Thomas Charles King (1783-1834) Ezekiel King (1785-1865) John DeVane King (1796-1833) |
| Sisters |
Margaret King Beck (1782-1822) Tabitha King Kornegay (1788-1870) Helen King King (1793-1856) Catherine King (1795-1816) Elizabeth King Green (1797-1881) |
| Alma Mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1803) |
| Occupation |
President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate (1836-1841, 1850-1852) United States Minister to France (1844-1846) U.S. Senator from Alabama (1819-1844, 1848-1852) Representative from North Carolina's 5th District (1811-1816) City Solicitor of Wilmington, North Carolina (1810-1811) Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives (1807-1809) Lawyer |
| Death |
April 18, 1853 Selma, Alabama (67 years) |
| None |
| None |