Fess Parker was a tall, handsome actor appearing in the science fiction film Them! when Walt first spotted him and considered him for the upcoming part of the king of the wild frontier, Davy Crockett. The choice proved to be quintessential, giving Fess instant popularity and lifetime recognition for the role. It was on this day in 1955 that Davy Crockett Goes to Congress further helped to seal Fess’s popularity. This second of a three-part Davy Crockett episode proved to be even more successful than the previous episode, with even more viewers tuning in than for the first. This episode focused on the hero at the time when he was elected to Congress. It was around that time that Fess Parker actually went to Congress himself. He went to Washington, D.C., to present a rifle to retiring Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Anderson. Dressed completely in his buckskin costume at the nation’s capitol, Fess was suddenly confronted by a line of fans wanting his autograph — not children, but elegantly dressed adults. Undaunted, he asked them to please be seated, saying he would be happy to sign autographs after the program concluded.