Oliver Perry Temple
| Oliver Perry Temple | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Oliver Perry Temple January 27, 1820 Greene County, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | November 2, 1907 (aged 87) Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Resting place |
Old Gray Cemetery Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Alma mater | Washington College |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Notable work |
The Covenanter, the Cavalier, and the Puritan (1897) East Tennessee and the Civil War (1899) Notable Men of Tennessee (1912) |
| Political party |
Whig Constitutional Union Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Scotia Caledonia Hume |
| Children | Mary Boyce Temple |
| Parent(s) | James and Mary Craig Temple |
Oliver Perry Temple (January 27, 1820 – November 2, 1907) was an American attorney, author, judge, and economic promoter active primarily in East Tennessee in the latter half of the 19th century. During the months leading up to the Civil War, Temple played a pivotal role in organizing East Tennessee's Unionists. In June 1861, he drafted the final resolutions of the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention, and spent much of the first half of the war providing legal defense for Unionists who had been charged with treason by Confederate authorities.
After the war, Temple promoted agricultural and industrial development in East Tennessee, most notably by assisting in the development of the Rugby Colony, and in later years wrote several books on the history of East Tennessee.
Temple was born near Greeneville, Tennessee, to James and Mary (Craig) Temple, and was raised on his father's large farm. As a teenager, he was fond of debating, and would walk miles to participate in debate societies at country schools. At age 16, he enrolled in the fledgling Greeneville College, but quit in 1838 to march with the state militia to suppress a Cherokee uprising.
While serving with the militia, Temple was inspired to study law after reading An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by English philosopher John Locke. He attended Tusculum College from 1838 to 1841, and attended Washington College from 1841 to 1844. At the latter, he was a classmate and mentor of future North Carolina governor Zebulon Vance. After graduating from Washington College, Temple studied law under Judge Robert McKinney, and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He initially practiced in Greeneville in partnership with future Arkansas Supreme Court justice, Freeman Compton.
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