Malcolm R. Patterson

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malcom R. Patterson

Malcolm Rice Patterson (born June 7, 1861 in Somerville , Morgan County , Alabama , † March 8, 1935 in Sarasota , Florida ) was an American politician and the 34th governor of the state of Tennessee .

Early years and political advancement

At the age of eleven, Malcolm Patterson came to Memphis , Tennessee with his parents . He attended Christian Brother College and Vanderbilt University , where he studied law. In 1883 he was admitted to the bar, whereupon he worked as a lawyer in Memphis. Between 1894 and 1900 he was a district attorney for Shelby County .

Governor of Tennessee

The Democrat Patterson was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1900 and remained there until November 1906. The Democratic Party had not nominated the previous Governor of Tennessee, John I. Cox , and opted for Patterson. He won this election as well as the re-election two years later. He was governor of Tennessee for four years (1907 to 1911).

As governor, he campaigned for the further development of the public school system, founded a commission to expand the road network ( State Highway Commission ) and banned public executions. With the help of the militia, he ended a violent revolt over fishing rights at Reelfoot Lake. The rioters were arrested and partly sentenced to death. The quick settlement of this matter helped him to be re-elected in 1908. His second term in office was overshadowed by the conflict over a prohibition law. Patterson opposed and vetoed such a law, but it was overruled by the country's Congress. It became difficult for the governor when he pardoned the convicted murderer Duncan Cooper, a political companion whose son - supposedly at Cooper's behest - had shot Edward W. Carmack , Patterson's opponent in the 1908 gubernatorial election and proponent of prohibition . His opponents even accused the governor of complicity, but this could not be proven. The matter sparked a scandal. The criticism of Patterson grew. He was generally accused of being too generous with pardons and alleged that he had pardoned over 14 criminals in the four years he was in office. Many of his opponents viewed him as an obstacle to successful reforms. In view of this opposition, even within his own party, Patterson decided not to run again in 1908.

Old age and death

After the end of his tenure, he changed his political stance on prohibition and became an advocate for a corresponding law. He became a lawyer in Memphis again. In 1915 he applied unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate . From 1923 to 1934 he was a judge in Shelby County and in 1932 he ran again unsuccessfully for governor of Tennessee. He died on March 8, 1935 while visiting Florida.

Patterson was married to Mary Russell Gardner, with whom he had four children.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978 . Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport 1978. 4 volumes
  • The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 14. James T. White & Company, New York.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Patterson, Malcolm R.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Patterson, Malcolm Rice (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 7, 1861
PLACE OF BIRTH Somerville , Morgan County , Alabama
DATE OF DEATH March 8, 1935
Place of death Sarasota , Florida