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Hill McAlister
Harry Hill McAlister (July 15, 1875 – October 30, 1959) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937. He also served as Nashville's city attorney in the early 1900s, and as Tennessee's state treasurer in the 1920s and early 1930s. Inaugurated as governor at the height of the Great Depression, McAlister enacted massive spending cuts in an attempt to stabilize state finances. He coordinated federal programs in the state aimed at providing Depression-era relief, and was a supporter of the New Deal.
McAlister withdrew from state politics in 1936 following a quarrel with powerful Memphis political boss E. H. Crump. He spent the last two decades of his life as a Referee in Bankruptcy in Nashville's district court.
McAlister was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1875, the son of William King McAlister, a lawyer and judge, and Laura (Dortch) McAlister. He attended Vanderbilt University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in 1897. He was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Nashville in 1899.
McAlister became Nashville's assistant city attorney in 1901, and was elevated to city attorney in 1905. He was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1910, and served two terms (1911–1915). As a state senator, he sought stricter enforcement of laws regarding education and child labor, and advocated better food and drug inspections. He also sought funding for a tuberculosis hospital for Nashville. McAlister was an elector for President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and served on the state Democratic Executive Committee from 1918 to 1920.
The Tennessee General Assembly appointed McAlister state treasurer in 1919. He served in this position until 1927, and again from 1931 to 1933. During the 1920s, he consistently warned that the state faced an impending financial crisis, and assailed Governor Austin Peay's reforms.
In the governor's race of 1926, McAlister sought the Democratic Party's nomination against the incumbent, Austin Peay. Peay had radically transformed the state government, and had angered numerous members of his own party in the process, among them political bosses E. H. Crump of Memphis and Hilary Howse of Nashville. With the help of Crump and Howse, McAlister was able to win Shelby and Davidson counties, but Peay won the state's rural areas and East Tennessee, and defeated McAlister for the nomination by 7,000 votes.
In 1928, McAlister again sought the nomination, this time against incumbent Henry Horton, who had become governor following Peay's death the previous year. McAlister had the support of Crump and Howse, while Horton had the support of powerful publisher Luke Lea. A third candidate, Lewis S. Pope, also sought the nomination. Though the primary campaign was hard-fought, McAlister fell short, losing to Horton 97,333 votes to 92,017 (Pope tallied just 27,779 votes).
By late 1930, the effects of the stock market crash of 1929 had reached Tennessee. A few days after Horton's victory in the general election, numerous banks controlled by Lea's business associate, Rogers Caldwell, failed, wiping out over $6 million in state deposits. Horton faced impeachment, and Lea was indicted on charges of bank fraud. While the motion calling for Horton's impeachment failed in the state House, both Caldwell and Lea were eventually convicted on charges of bank fraud.
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Hill McAlister
Harry Hill McAlister (July 15, 1875 – October 30, 1959) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937. He also served as Nashville's city attorney in the early 1900s, and as Tennessee's state treasurer in the 1920s and early 1930s. Inaugurated as governor at the height of the Great Depression, McAlister enacted massive spending cuts in an attempt to stabilize state finances. He coordinated federal programs in the state aimed at providing Depression-era relief, and was a supporter of the New Deal.
McAlister withdrew from state politics in 1936 following a quarrel with powerful Memphis political boss E. H. Crump. He spent the last two decades of his life as a Referee in Bankruptcy in Nashville's district court.
McAlister was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1875, the son of William King McAlister, a lawyer and judge, and Laura (Dortch) McAlister. He attended Vanderbilt University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in 1897. He was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Nashville in 1899.
McAlister became Nashville's assistant city attorney in 1901, and was elevated to city attorney in 1905. He was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1910, and served two terms (1911–1915). As a state senator, he sought stricter enforcement of laws regarding education and child labor, and advocated better food and drug inspections. He also sought funding for a tuberculosis hospital for Nashville. McAlister was an elector for President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and served on the state Democratic Executive Committee from 1918 to 1920.
The Tennessee General Assembly appointed McAlister state treasurer in 1919. He served in this position until 1927, and again from 1931 to 1933. During the 1920s, he consistently warned that the state faced an impending financial crisis, and assailed Governor Austin Peay's reforms.
In the governor's race of 1926, McAlister sought the Democratic Party's nomination against the incumbent, Austin Peay. Peay had radically transformed the state government, and had angered numerous members of his own party in the process, among them political bosses E. H. Crump of Memphis and Hilary Howse of Nashville. With the help of Crump and Howse, McAlister was able to win Shelby and Davidson counties, but Peay won the state's rural areas and East Tennessee, and defeated McAlister for the nomination by 7,000 votes.
In 1928, McAlister again sought the nomination, this time against incumbent Henry Horton, who had become governor following Peay's death the previous year. McAlister had the support of Crump and Howse, while Horton had the support of powerful publisher Luke Lea. A third candidate, Lewis S. Pope, also sought the nomination. Though the primary campaign was hard-fought, McAlister fell short, losing to Horton 97,333 votes to 92,017 (Pope tallied just 27,779 votes).
By late 1930, the effects of the stock market crash of 1929 had reached Tennessee. A few days after Horton's victory in the general election, numerous banks controlled by Lea's business associate, Rogers Caldwell, failed, wiping out over $6 million in state deposits. Horton faced impeachment, and Lea was indicted on charges of bank fraud. While the motion calling for Horton's impeachment failed in the state House, both Caldwell and Lea were eventually convicted on charges of bank fraud.