Malcolm R. Patterson: Difference between revisions

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'''Malcolm Rice Patterson''' ([[June 7]], [[1861]] - –[[March 8]], [[1935]]) was the [[List of Governors of Tennessee|Governorgovernor]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Tennessee]] from [[1907]] to [[1911]].

A native of [[Alabama]], his father was a [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[cavalry]] officer. He attended Christian Brothers College (now [[Christian Brothers University]]) and [[Vanderbilt University]]. He was admitted to the [[bar (law)|bar]] in [[1883]]. He was [[attorney general]] for [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby County]] from [[1894]] to [[1900]], and the elected a member of [[United States Congress|Congress]], serving the former Tenth District [[1901]] - [[1907]] prior to being the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] nominee for [[governor]] in [[1906]]. He was the first governor of Tennessee from [[West Tennessee]]. He used the State Guard to supresssuppress a "Night Rider" movement which had broken out over disputed [[fishing]] rights to [[Reelfoot Lake]] in West Tennessee. He [[veto]]ed the return of statewide [[Prohibition]] in [[1909]]; in a rare instance, for the era, of [[state legislature|legislative]] independence, his veto was overridden. He initially intended to seek a third term in [[1910]] but there was so much political turmoil, particularly within the Democratic Party, regarding the Prohibition issue, that he withdrew from the race for re-election after having already won the nomination, being replaced by [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] [[Robert Love Taylor]], who was defeated in the [[general election]].

After his term as governor, Patterson changed his position on Prohibition, becoming an outspoken proponent of it. He resumed the practice of law and for the last eleven years of his life served as a [[Circuit Court]] [[judge]].