Alfred A. Taylor

Who was Alfred A. Taylor?

Alfred Alexander "Alf" Taylor was an American politician and lecturer. He served as Governor of Tennessee from 1921 to 1923, one of just three Republicans to hold the position from the end of Reconstruction to the latter half of the 20th century. He also served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1889 to 1895.

In 1886, Taylor ran for governor against his brother, Robert Love Taylor, in a memorable campaign known as the "War of the Roses." Canvassing the state together, the brothers often engaged in light-hearted banter and played fiddles, in contrast to previous gubernatorial campaigns, which involved fierce debates. Taylor ran for governor again in 1910, but lost his party's nomination to Ben W. Hooper. He was victorious in 1920 due in large part to divisions within the Democratic Party over taxes and women's suffrage.