Austin Peay
| Austin Peay | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 35th Governor of Tennessee | |
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In office January 16, 1923 – October 2, 1927 |
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| Preceded by | Alfred A. Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Henry H. Horton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 1, 1876 Christian County, Kentucky |
| Died | October 2, 1927 (aged 51) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery Clarksville, Tennessee |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Sallie Hurst (m. 1895) |
| Alma mater | Washington and Lee University |
| Profession | Attorney |
Austin Peay (June 1, 1876 – October 2, 1927) was an American politician who served as Governor of Tennessee from 1923 to 1927. He was the state's first governor since the Civil War to win three consecutive terms, and the first to die in office. Prior to his election as governor, he served two terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives (1901–1905).
Widely considered one of Tennessee's most effective governors, Peay enacted numerous government reforms. He consolidated government agencies, overhauled the tax code, improved state schools, drastically expanded the state highway system, and converted the massive state debt into a budget surplus. He also created Tennessee's first state park, and lent state support for the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During his tenure, the balance of power in state politics shifted from the state legislature to the governor.
In 1925, Peay signed into law the Butler Act, which barred the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in public schools. The enactment of this law led to the Scopes Trial, which took place later that year.
Peay was born in Christian County, Kentucky, the son of Austin Peay, a farmer, and Cornelia (Leavell) Peay. Early advertisements and other biographical sources list his name as "Austin Leavell Peay" or "Austin L. Peay," though he had stopped using a middle name by the time he was governor. He attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, before moving to Clarksville, Tennessee, to practice law. He was practically penniless when he married Sallie Hurst in Clarksville in 1895.
In 1900, Peay was elected to Montgomery County's seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. During his first term, he introduced an anti-trust measure, which was quickly buried in committee. His reputation among fellow Democrats improved during his second term, however, and he was elected chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Committee in 1905.
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