Topic: Austin Peay

Austin Peay (June 1, 1876 – October 2, 1927) was Governor of Tennessee from 1923 until his death in 1927.

Peay, a native of Kentucky, moved to Clarksville, Tennessee and opened a law practice in 1896. He was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1901 and re-elected in 1903. A strong supporter of public education, Peay obtained the Democratic Party nomination for governor in 1922 to oppose incumbent Republican governor Alfred A. Taylor.

Peay defeated Taylor in the election of November, 1922. Inaugurated as governor on January 16, 1923, Peay undertook a major reorganization of state government, partially to strengthen education, but also to improve transportation. The Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works (now Tennessee Department of Transportation) was established as part of Peay's reorganizational efforts. He was re-elected in 1924.