[3][4] He attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, before moving to Clarksville, Tennessee, to practice law.

[5] In 1918, Peay ran for governor as a Democrat, losing by 12,000 votes to Albert H. Roberts in the primary election.

[2] Peay implemented a 2 percent tax on gasoline and automobile registration fees to finance road construction.

[2] In the 1924 governor's race, Peay defeated Republican candidate Thomas Peck 152,000 votes to 121,238 in the general election.

[5] He expanded the school year to eight months, established licensing requirements and salary schedules for teachers, and increased funding for the University of Tennessee.

[6] In March 1925, Peay signed the Butler Act, banning the teaching of the Theory of Evolution in the state's schools.

The law was challenged by Dayton teacher John T. Scopes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

[7] Peay won a third term as Governor in 1926, defeating Hill McAlister in the primary election and Walter White in the general.

[1] Shortly after beginning his third term, Peay's health began to decline and he died from a cerebral hemorrhage at 8:05 p.m. on October 2, 1927.