Malcolm R. Patterson

Malcolm R. Patterson
30th Governor of Tennessee
In office January 17, 1907 – January 26, 1911
Preceded by	John I. Cox
Succeeded by	Ben W. Hooper
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 10th district
In office March 4, 1901 – November 5, 1906
Preceded by	Edward W. Carmack
Succeeded by	George Gordon
Personal details
Born	(1861-06-07)June 7, 1861 Somerville, Alabama, Confederate States of America
Died	March 8, 1935(1935-03-08) (aged 73) Sarasota, Florida, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Hill Cemetery Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Sarah Johnson Sybil Hodges ​ ​ (m. 1903; died 1906)​ Mary Russell Gardner ​ ​ (m. 1907)​
Relations	Virginia Foster Durr (niece)
Parent	Josiah Patterson (father)
Profession	Attorney
Signature

Malcolm Rice Patterson (June 7, 1861 – March 8, 1935) was an American politician and jurist. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1901 to 1906, and as the 30th governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. He later served as a circuit court judge in Memphis (1923–1934), and wrote a weekly column for the Memphis Commercial Appeal (1921–1933).^[1]

Patterson was one of Tennessee's most controversial governors.^[2] While praised for quelling the Night Riders of Reelfoot Lake uprising in 1908, he was accused of issuing pardons to political allies, most notably his advisor Duncan Brown Cooper, who had been convicted of murdering his political foe Edward W. Carmack.^[1] Patterson's veto of a popular prohibition bill in 1909 and his attempts to control the state Democratic primaries in 1910 created a division in the party that allowed Ben W. Hooper to become the first Republican governor elected in the state in nearly 30 years.