John Rowlett Paine

John Rowlett Paine, commonly known as Rowlett Paine, was a Memphis, Tennessee born wholesale grocer and Methodist community leader who served as the 37th mayor of Memphis from 1920 to 1927.^[1] A civic-minded reformer, he implemented numerous initiatives aimed at reforming juvenile justice, city zoning, public health, and educational improvements. Initially a strong ally of E.H. "Boss" Crump, sharing the desire to eliminate the local Ku Klux Klan, their eventual disagreements would drive them to be strong political opponents.^[2]

Early life

Paine was born on December 2, 1879, to a devout Methodist family in Memphis. As a young man, he became involved in numerous social circles of Memphis, entering the wholesale grocery business. He also participated in the local Rotary Club.^[3] By the early 1900s, Paine was beginning to advocate in his social circles for progressive public health reforms. He would enlist in the Army at the onset of the First World War, rising to the rank of sergeant. In 1918, he would marry Anna Bell Hughes, a prominent Memphis socialite.

Time as mayor

Paine would campaign under the Reform Platform, a party made up primarily of Methodists. This included agreements with E.H. Crump regarding the pursuance and persecution of local Ku Klux Klan groups.^[4] During his two terms in office, he would appoint the first female juvenile court judge in Memphis.^[5] He also established the City Planning Commission to properly zone schools. He also lead the local police's breakdown on barbershops, brothels, and saloons to curb public health epidemics.^[5] Notably, Paine did not side with Unions performing strikes in Memphis during his time in office, particularly during the 1920 Firefighters Strike.^[6] It became quickly apparent that Paine was not going to be a puppet to Crump's dominating political campaign even though it was becoming clear that Crump was to soon win a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.^[7] This would ultimately lead to Paine losing the election for his third term to Crump-backed candidate Watkins Overton, who won with nearly three-quarters of the vote.^[8]

After office

After losing the 1927 election for mayor, Paine would begin to fade into obscurity.^[9] He would not run for another elected position, but would continue to operate his wholesale grocery business. He largely kept a low public profile for the rest of his life. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.